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HARCOURT,    BRACE  AND   HOWE 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

EDITOR'S  INTRODUCTION iii 

MELVILLE'S  PREFACE 3 

I.  A  LAND-SICK  SHIP ; 5 

II.  THE  BAY  OF  NUKUHEVA 10 

IV.  RESOLVE  TO  ESCAPE  * 20 

V.  TOBY'S  RESOLVE 34 

VI.  ESCAPE  TO  THE  MOUNTAINS 40 

VII.  THE  OTHER  SIDE  OF  THE  MOUNTAINS 50 

VIII.  JOURNEY  TOWARD  THE  VALLEY 63 

IX.  FRIGHTFUL  DESCENT  TO  THE  RAVINE 74 

X.  TYPEE  OF  HAPPAR? 85 

XI.  MORNING  VISITORS 99 

XII.  TERRORS  IN  THE  TABOO  GROVES 117 

XIII.  PERILOUS  ADVENTURE  OF  TOBY 130 

XIV.  SOMETHING  BEFALLS  TOBY 140 

XV.  BREAD-FRUIT 153 

XVI.  AT  THE  Ti 159 

XVII.  SKIRMITH  WITH  THE  HAPPARS 166 

XVIII.  MARNOO  APPEARS 176 

XIX.  BATTLE  OF  THE  POP-GUNS 193 

XX.  A  DAY  IN  THE  VALLEY. 201 

XXI.  MONUMENTAL  PI-PIS 207 

XXII.  PREPARATIONS  FOR  A  FEAST 212 

XXIII.  THE  FEAST  OF  CALABASHES 220 

XXIV.  SINGULAR  SUPERSTITIONS 228 

XXV.  KING  MEHEVI 243 

XXVI.  NATIVE  CUSTOMS 254 

XXVII.  KINDLINESS  OF  THE  CANNIBALS ' 263 

*  Chapter  III  has  been  omitted  from  this  edition. 


464071 


iv  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

XXVIII.   FISHING 272 

XXIX.  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  THE  VALLEY 277 

XXX.  TATTOOING  AND  TABOOING : 286 

XXXI.   CURIOUS  ODDS  AND  ENDS 298 

XXXII.  A  FRIGHTFUL  DISCOVERY 304 

XXXIII.  MARNOO  RETURNS 316 

XXXIV.  THE  ESCAPE 323 

THE  STORY  OF  TOBY 336 


INTRODUCTION 

WHEN  Typee  first  appeared,  nearly  seventy-five  years 
ago,  the  life  of  sailors  was  still  the  glorious  and  bitter 
experience  that  Mr.  Masefield  describes,  and  not,  as  now, 
a  merely  foul  and  discomfortable  existence  as  machine- 
tender  or  stoker.  The  rush  of  white  sails  over  purple 
waters  and  the  inescapable  miseries  of  voyages  apparently 
endless  were  even  then  a  tradition,  and  a  reality  as  well. 
At  such  a  time  a  tale  of  sea-fever  and  sea-roving  was 
heartily  welcomed.  But  Melville  added  new  ingredients 
to  the  familiar  story :  the  mystery  and  horror  of  unvisited 
cannibal  valleys,  fearful  perils  and  agonized  efforts  to 
escape,  and  withal  a  revelation  of  unsuspected  kindliness 
and  simple  virtues  in  the  bloodthirsty  savages.  We  need 
no  further  reason  to  account  for  the  high  interest  which 
Typee  stirred  on  its  appearance.  It  creates  the  sort  of 
spell  which  has  held  children  from  play  in  every  gen 
eration. 

But  more  than  this  makes  up  its  permanent  value  and 
appeal.  The  two  sailors,  in  their  flight  from  the  whaling 
vessel,  climb  with  almost  magical  agility  over  fresh- 
smelling  cliffs,  and  come  down  into  a  "Happy  Valley"  of 
childlike  and  delightful  simplicity.  It  is  a  place  of 
laughter  and  content.  The  cannibal  warriors  join  mer 
rily  in  a  pop-gun  battle,  or  stumble  in  good-natured  idle 
ness  over  the  headstrong  trails  that  form  their  chief 
highways.  Their  sole  energetic  efforts  appear  to  be  spent 
in  lighting  fires  and  carrying  on  the  sacred  rites  of  tattoo 
and  taboo.  It  is  difficult  to  believe  that  their  guests 


vi  INTRODUCTION 

were  really  "in  constant  danger  of  being  dined  upon." 
But  so  it  was,  as  the  frightful  revelations  of  the  pack 
ages  in  old  Marheyo's  house  and  of  the  covered  canoes 
in  the  taboo  groves  near  the  Ti  abundantly  show.  It  is 
this  astounding  mixture  of  idyll  and  peril  that  makes  a 
great  part  of  the  abiding  charm  and  interest  of  Typee. 
The  essential  truth  of  Melville's  account  is  well  es 
tablished.  The  story  has,  indeed,  been  called  pure 
romance.  And  certainly  the  author  had  neither  oppor 
tunity  nor  inclination  while  in  that  "anxious  paradise" 
for  taking  exact  notes  of  his  observations.  Nor  did  he 
return  home  until  nearly  four  years  after  he  first  set 
sail.  His  full  and  varied  adventures  included  imprison 
ment  in  an  island  jail,  chronicled  in  Omoo,  and  service 
on  board  a  man-of-war,  which  he  excellently  describes, 
with  its  hardships  and  brutal  floggings,  in  White- Jacket. 
Yet  his  recollections  embodied  in  Typee,  as  verified  by 
the  testimony  of  later  travelers,  prove  to  be  remarkably 
correct.  One  has  only  to  turn  to  a  recent  matter-of-fact 
article,  with  photographic  illustrations,  by  Mr.  J.  W. 
Church*  to  find  confirmation  for  much  of  Melville's 
record.  Both  the  pictures  and  the  text  present  for  the 
most  part  a  reality  flat  and  lifeless  beside  the  writings  of 
Melville  or  Stevenson,  and  so  give  a  less  vivid  and  real 
sense  of  the  life  and  customs  they  portray.  In  part,  too, 
Mr.  Church's  statements  about  long-vanished  customs 
suggest  that  reliance  on  "long-bow  accounts"  by  retired 
sailors  and  European  officials  which  Melville  satirizes. 
Yet  the  Geographic  article,  if  less  intimate  and  kindly 
in  its  view,  only  confirms  Typee  in  the  claim  to  essen 
tial  truth  which  Melville  made  for  it  in  his  preface  of 
1846. 

*"A  Vanishing  People  of  the  South  Seas":  The  National  Geo 
graphic  Magazine,  October,  1919. 


INTRODUCTION  vii 

Typee  has  been  heartily  appreciated  by  those  who  have 
discovered  it  in  every  later  generation.  Stevenson  wrote, 
"There  are  but  two  writers  who  have  touched  the  South 
Seas  with  any  genius,  both  Americans:  Melville  and 
Charles  Warren  Stoddard."  And  he  speaks  of  Melville 
as  "first  and  greatest."  Stoddard's  South  Sea  Idylls  is 
indeed  inferior  only  to  Melville's  and  Stevenson's  writings 
in  charm  and  interest.  His  accounts  of  the  savage 
dances  and  the  equally  savage  lomi-lomi  interestingly 
supplement  those  of  Typee. 

The  most  satisfactory  second  visit  to  these  islands  for 
one  who  has  voyaged  there  with  Melville  is  provided  in 
the  magical  atmosphere  and  color  of  Stevenson's  The 
South  Seas.  Stevenson's  descriptions  of  the  handsome 
natives,  with  their  tints  of  olive  and  ivory  and  their  "large 
luminous,  and  melting  eyes,"  and  his  account  of  their 
manner,  "wild,  shy,  and  refined,"  "fiercely  proud,"  and 
of  what  he  calls  "almost  .  .  .  their  deification  of  chil 
dren"  suit  well  with  Melville's  delighted  account.  He 
confirms,  too,  all  that  Melville  foresaw  of  the  miserable 
results  brought  about  by  the  coming  of  civilization.  The 
natives  he  observed,  their  arts  and  enjoyments  vanishing, 
were  "dying  of  discouragement,  perhaps  I  should  rather 
say  of  acquiescence."  He  saw  ruined  houses,  where  the 
"insects  consumed  the  walls  as  if  they  had  been  bread, 
and  the  rain  and  air  ate  into  them  like  vitriol."  The 
Typee  valley  itself  is  now  altogether  uninhabited.  The 
contrast  with  the  contented  and  superbly  healthy  natives 
of  Melville's  "Happy  Valley"  is  painfully  sad. 

STERLING  ANDRUS  LEONARD. 

THE  LINCOLN  SCHOOL  OF  TEACHERS  COLLEGE, 
COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY,  NEW  YORK  CITY, 
January,  1920. 


THE  text  of  this  edition  is  complete  but  for  some  minor 
omissions,  chiefly  philosophical  discussions  and  diatribes 
against  the  French  and  the  missionaries.  Stevenson  has 
treated  these  subjects  more  calmly  and  definitively; 
here  they  merely  delay  an  excellent  narrative.  A  glos 
sary  of  Marquesan  common  and  proper  names  and  of 
other  explanations  which  appear  useful,  and  references 
to  other  writers  who  have  treated  the  South  Seas  or 
Melville's  life  and  writings  follow  the  text. 


PREFACE 

BY   THE   AUTHOR 

MORE  than  three  years  have  elapsed  since  the  occur 
rence  of  the  events  recorded  in  this  volume.  The  in 
terval,  with  the  exception  of  the  last  few  months,  has 
been  chiefly  spent  by  the  author  tossing  about  on  the 
wide  ocean.  Sailors  are  the  only  class  of  men  who 
now-a-days  see  anything  like  stirring  adventure;  and 
many  things  which  to  fire-side  people  appear  strange  and 
romantic,  to  them  seem  as  common-place  as  a  jacket  out 
at  elbows.  Yet,  notwithstanding  the  familiarity  of 
sailors  with  all  sorts  of  curious  adventure,  the  incidents 
recorded  in  the  following  pages  have  often  served,  when 
"spun  as  a  yarn,"  not  only  to  relieve  the  weariness  of 
many  a  night-watch  at  sea,  but  to  excite  the  warmest 
sympathies  of  the  author's  shipmates.  He  has  been, 
therefore,  led  to  think  that  his  story  could  scarcely  fail 
to  interest  those  who  are  less  familiar  than  the  sailor 
with  a  life  of  adventure. 

In  his  account  of  the  singular  and  interesting  people 
among  whom  he  was  thrown,  it  will  be  observed  that  he 
chiefly  treats  of  their  more  obvious  peculiarities;  and, 
in  describing  their  customs,  refrains  in  most  cases  from 
entering  into  explanations  concerning  their  origin  and 
purposes.  As  writers  of  travels  among  barbarous  com 
munities  are  generally  very  diffuse  on  these  subjects,  he 
deems  it  right  to  advert  to  what  may  be  considered  a 
culpable  omission.  No  one  can  be  more  sensible  than 

3 


PREFACE 


the  author:  of  his  deficiencies  in  this  and  many  other 
respects;  but  when  the  very  peculiar  circumstances  in 
which  he  was  placed  are  understood,  he  feels  assured 
that  all  these  omissions  will  be  excused. 

In  very  many  published  narratives  no  little  degree  of 
attention  is  bestowed  upon  dates;  but  as  the  author  lost 
all  knowledge  of  the  days  of  the  week,  during  the 
occurrence  of  the  scenes  herein  related,  he  hopes  that 
the  reader  will  charitably  pass  over  his  shortcomings  in 
this  particular. 

In  the  Polynesian  words  used  in  this  volume  —  ex 
cept  in  those  cases  where  the  spelling  has  been  pre 
viously  determined  by  others  —  that  form  of  orthogra 
phy  has  been  employed  which  might  be  supposed  most 
easily  to  convey  their  sound  to  a  stranger.  In  several 
works  descriptive  of  the  islands  in  the  Pacific,  many  of 
the  most  beautiful  combinations  of  vocal  sounds  have 
been  altogether  lost  to  the  ear  of  the  reader  by  an  over- 
attention  to  the  ordinary  rules  of  spelling. 

There  are  some  things  related  in  the  narrative  which 
will  be  sure  to  appear  strange,  or  perhaps  entirely  incom 
prehensible,  to  the  reader;  but  they  cannot  appear  more 
so  to  him  than  they  did  to  the  author  at  the  time.  He 
has  stated  such  matters  just  as  they  occurred,  and  leaves 
every  one  to  form  his  own  opinion  concerning  them, 
trusting  that  his  anxious  desire  to  speak  the  unvarnished 
truth  will  gain  for  him  the  confidence  of  his  readers. 

1846. 


TYPEE 

CHAPTER  I 
A  LAND-SICK  SHIP 

Six  months  at  sea!  Yes,  reader,  as  I  live,  six  months 
out  of  sight  of  land;  cruising  after  the  sperm-whale 
beneath  the  scorching  sun  of  the  Line,  and  tossed  on 
the  billows  of  the  wide-rolling  Pacific  —  the  sky  above, 
the  sea  around,  and  nothing  else!  Weeks  and  weeks 
ago  our  fresh  provisions  were  all  exhausted.  There  is 
not  a  sweet  potato  left;  not  a  single  yam.  Those  glori 
ous  bunches  of  bananas  which  once  decorated  our  stern 
and  quarter-deck  have,  alas,  disappeared!  and  the 
delicious  oranges  which  hung  suspended  from  our  tops 
and  stays  —  they,  too,  are  gone !  Yes,  they  are  all 
departed,  and  there  is  nothing  left  us  but  salt-horse  and 
sea-biscuit.  Oh!  ye  state-room  sailors,  who  make  so 
much  ado  about  a  fourteen-days'  passage  across  the 
Atlantic;  who  so  pathetically  relate  the  privations  and 
hardships  of  the  sea,  where,  after  a  day  of  breakfasting, 
lunching,  dining  off  five  courses,  chatting,  playing  whist, 
and  drinking  champagne-punch,  it  was  your  hard  lot  to 
be  shut  up  in  nice  little  cabinets  of  mahogany  and  maple, 
and  sleep  for  ten  hours,  with  nothing  to  disturb  you  but 
"those  good-for-nothing  tars,  shouting  and  tramping 
over  head"  —  what  would  you  say  to  our  six  months 
out  of  sight  of  land? 

Oh!  for  a  refreshing  glimpse  of  one  blade  of  grass  — 
for  a  snuff  at  the  fragrance  of  a  handful  of  the  loamy 

5 


6  TYPEE 

earth!  ts  there  nothing  fresh  around  us?  Is  there  no 
green  thing  to  be  seen?  Yes,  the  inside  of  our  bul 
warks  is  painted  green;  but  what  a  vile  and  sickly  hue 
it  is,  as  if  nothing  bearing  even  the  semblance  of  verdure 
could  flourish  this  weary  way  from  land.  Even  the 
bark  that  once  clung  to  the  wood  we  use  for  fuel  has 
been  gnawed  off  and  devoured  by  the  captain's  pig; 
and  so  long  ago,  too,  that  the  pig  himself  has  in  turn 
been  devoured. 

There  is  but  one  solitary  tenant  in  the  chicken-coop, 
once  a  gay  and  dapper  young  cock,  bearing  him  so 
bravely  among  the  coy  hens.  But  look  at  him  now; 
there  he  stands,  moping  all  the  day  long  on  that  ever 
lasting  one  leg  of  his.  He  turns  with  disgust  from  the 
mouldy  corn  before  him  and  the  brackish  water  in  his 
trough.  He  mourns  no  doubt  his  lost  companions,  lit 
erally  snatched  from  him  one  by  one,  and  never  seen 
again.  But  his  days  of  mourning  will  be  few;  for 
Mungo,  our  black  cook,  told  me  yesterday  that  the  word 
had  at  last  gone  forth,  and  poor  Pedro's  fate  was  sealed. 
His  attenuated  body  will  be  laid  out  upon  the  captain's 
table  next  Sunday,  and  long  before  night  will  be  buried, 
with  all  the  usual  ceremonies,  beneath  that  worthy  in 
dividual's  vest.  Who  would  believe  that  there  could 
be  any  one  so  cruel  as  to  long  for  the  decapitation  of  the 
luckless  Pedro;  yet  the  sailors  pray  every  minute,  selfish 
fellows,  that  the  miserable  fowl  may  be  brought 
to  his  end.  They  say  the  captain  will  never  point  the 
ship  for  the  land  so  long  as  he  has  in  anticipation  a  mess 
of  fresh  meat.  This  unhappy  bird  can  alone  furnish  it; 
and  when  he  is  once  devoured,  the  captain  will  at  once 
come  to  his  senses.  I  wish  thee  no  harm,  Peter;  but 
as  thou  art  doomed,  sooner  or  later,  to  meet  the  fate 
of  all  thy  race;  and  if  putting  a  period  to  thy  existence 


A    LAND-SICK    SHIP  7 

is  to  be  the  signal  for  our  deliverance,  why  —  truth  to 
speak  —  I  wish  thy  throat  cut  this  very  moment ;  for, 
oh!  how  I  wish  to  see  the  living  earth  again!  The 
old  ship  herself  longs  to  look  out  upon  the  land  from 
her  hawse-holes  once  more,  and  Jack  Lewis  said  right 
the  other  day  when  the  captain  found  fault  with  his 
steering. 

"Why,  d'ye  see,  Captain  Vangs,"  says  bold  Jack, 
"I'm  as  good  a  helmsman  as  ever  put  hand  to  spoke; 
but  none  of  us  can  steer  the  old  lady  now.  We  can't 
keep  her  full  and  bye,  sir:  watch  her  ever  so  close,  she 
will  fall  off;  and  then,  sir,  when  I  put  the  helm  down 
so  gently,  and  try  like  to  coax  her  to  the  work,  she 
won't  take  it  kindly,  but  will  fall  round  off  again;  and 
it's  all  because  she  knows  the  land  is  under  the  lee,  sir, 
and  she  won't  go  any  more  to  windward."  Aye,  and 
why  should  she,  Jack?  didn't  every  one  of  her  stout 
timbers  grow  on  shore,  and  hasn't  she  sensibilities  as 
well  as  we? 

Poor  old  ship!  Her  very  looks  denote  her  desires! 
how  deplorably  she  appears!  The  paint  on  her  sides, 
burnt  up  by  the  scorching  sun,  is  puffed  out  and  cracked. 
See  the  weeds  she  trails  along  with  her,  and  what  an  un 
sightly  bunch  of  those  horrid  barnacles  has  formed  about 
her  stern-piece;  and  every  time  she  rises  on  a  sea,  she 
shows  her  copper  torn  away,  or  hanging  in  jagged  strips. 

Poor  old  ship!  I  say  again:  for  six  months  she  has 
been  rolling  and  pitching  about,  never  for  one  moment 
at  rest.  But  courage,  old  lass,  I  hope  to  see  thee  soon 
within  a  biscuit's  toss  of  the  merry  land,  riding  snugly 
at  anchor  in  some  green  cove,  and  sheltered  from  the 
boisterous  winds. 

"Hurra,  my  lads!      It's  a  settled  thing;    next  week 


8  TYPEE 

we  shape  our  course  to  the  Marquesas!"  The  Mar 
quesas!  What  strange  visions  of  outlandish  things  does 
the  very  name  spirit  up!  Cannibal  banquets  —  groves 
of  cocoa-nut  —  coral  reefs  —  tatooed  chiefs  —  and  bam 
boo  temples;  sunny  valleys  planted  with  bread-fruit- 
trees  —  carved  canoes  dancing  on  the  flashing  blue 
waters  —  savage  woodlands  guarded  by  horrible  idols 
—  heathenish  rites  and  human  sacrifices. 

Such  were  the  strangely  jumbled  anticipations  that 
haunted  me  during  our  passage  from  the  cruising  ground. 
I  felt  an  irresistible  curiosity  to  see  those  islands  which 
the  olden  voyagers  had  so  glowingly  described. 

The  group  for  which  we  were  now  steering  (although 
among  the  earliest  of  European  discoveries  in  the  South 
Seas,  having  been  first  visited  in  the  year  1595)  still 
continues  to  be  tenanted  by  beings  as  strange  and  bar 
barous  as  ever.  How  interesting  the  circumstances  under 
which  they  were  discovered!  In  the  watery  path  of 
Mendana,  cruising  in  quest  of  some  region  of  gold,  these 
isles  had  sprung  up  like  a  scene  of  enchantment,  and  for 
a  moment  the  Spaniard  believed  his  bright  dream  was 
realised.  In  honor  of  the  Marquess  de  Mendoza,  then 
viceroy  of  Peru  —  under  whose  auspices  the  navigator 
sailed  —  he  bestowed  upon  them  the  name  which  de 
noted  the  rank  of  his  patron,  and  gave  to  the  world  on 
his  return  a  vague  and  magnificent  account  of  their 
beauty.  But  these  islands,  undisturbed  for  years,  re 
lapsed  into  their  previous  obscurity;  and  it  is  only  re 
cently  that  anything  has  been  known  concerning  them. 
Once  in  the  course  of  a  half-century,  to  be  sure,  some 
adventurous  rover  would  break  in  upon  their  peaceful 
repose,  and,  astonished  at  the  unusual  scene,  would  be 
almost  tempted  to  claim  the  merit  of  a  new  discovery. 

Of  this  interesting  group,  but  little  account  has  ever 


A   LAND-SICK    SHIP  9 

been  given,  if  we  except  the  slight  mention  made  of 
them  in  the  sketches  of  South  Sea  voyages.  Cook,  in 
his  repeated  circumnavigations  of  the  globe,  barely 
touched  at  their  shores;  and  all  that  we  know  about 
them  is  from  a  few  general  narratives.  Among  these, 
there  are  two  that  claim  particular  notice.  Porter's 
"Journal  of  the  Cruise  of  the  U.  S.  Frigate  Essex,  in  the 
Pacific,  during  the  late  War,"  is  said  to  contain  some 
interesting  particulars  concerning  the  islanders.  This 
is  a  work,  however,  which  I  have  never  happened  to 
meet  with;  and  Stewart,  the  chaplain  of  the  American 
sloop  of  war  Vincennes,  has  likewise  devoted  a  portion  of 
his  book,  entitled  "A  Visit  to  the  South  Seas,"  to  the 
same  subject. 

Within  the  last  few  years  American  and  English 
vessels  engaged  in  the  extensive  whale  fisheries  of  the 
Pacific  have  occasionally,  when  short  of  provisions,  put 
into  the  commodious  harbour  which  there  is  in  one  of 
the  islands;  but  a  fear  of  the  natives,  founded  on  a 
recollection  of  the  dreadful  fate  which  many  white  men 
have  received  at  their  hands,  has  deterred  their  crews 
from  intermixing  with  the  population  sufficiently  to  gain 
any  insight  into  their  peculiar  customs  and  manners. 
The  Protestant  Missions  appear  to  have  despaired  of 
reclaiming  these  islands  from  heathenism.  The  usage 
they  have  in  every  case  received  from  the  natives  has 
been  such  as  to  intimidate  the  boldest  of  their  number. 


CHAPTER  II 
THE  BAY  OF  NUKUHEVA 

I  CAN  never  forget  the  eighteen  or  twenty  days  dur 
ing  which  the  light  trade-winds  were  silently  sweeping 
us  towards  the  islands.  In  pursuit  of  the  sperm-whale, 
we  had  been  cruising  on  the  line  some  twenty  degrees 
to  the  westward  of  the  Gallipagos;  and  all  that  we  had 
to  do,  when  our  course  was  determined  on,  was  to 
square  in  the  yards  and  keep  the  vessel  before  the 
breeze,  and  then  the  good  ship  and  the  steady  gale  did 
the  rest  between  them.  The  man  at  the  wheel  never 
vexed  the  old  lady  with  any  superfluous  steering,  but, 
comfortably  adjusting  his  limbs  at  the  tiller,  would  doze 
away  by  the  hour.  True  to  her  work,  the  Dolly  headed 
to  her  course,  and  like  one  of  those  characters  who 
always  do  the  best  when  let  alone,  she  jogged  on  her 
way  like  a  veteran  old  sea-pacer  as  she  was. 

What  a  delightful,  lazy,  languid  time  we  had  whilst 
we  were  thus  gliding  along!  There  was  nothing  to  be 
done;  a  circumstance  that  happily  suited  our  disinclina 
tion  to  do  anything.  We  abandoned  the  fore-peak 
altogether,  and  spreading  an  awning  over  the  forecastle, 
slept,  ate,  and  lounged  under  it  the  live-long  day. 
Every  one  seemed  to  be  under  the  influence  of  some 
narcotic.  Even  the  officers  aft,  whose  duty  required 
them  never  to  be  seated  while  keeping  a  deck  watch, 
vainly  endeavoured  to  keep  on  their  pins,  and  were 
obliged  invariably  to  compromise  the  matter  by  leaning 

10  • 


THE    BAY   OF   NUKUHEVA  n 

up  against  the  bulwarks  and  gazing  abstractedly  over  the 
side.  Reading  was  out  of  the  question;  take  a  book  in 
your  hand,  and  you  were  asleep  in  an  instant. 

Although  I  could  not  avoid  yielding  in  a  great 
measure  to  the  general  languor,  still  at  times  I  con 
trived  to  shake  off  the  spell,  and  to  appreciate  the 
beauty  of  the  scene  around  me.  The  sky  presented  a 
clear  expanse  of  the  most  delicate  blue,  except  along 
the  skirts  of  the  horizon,  where  you  might  see  a  thin 
drapery  of  pale,  clouds  which  never  varied  their  form  or 
colour.  The  long,  measured,  dirge-like  swell  of  the 
Pacific  came  rolling  along,  with  its  surface  broken  by 
little  tiny  waves,  sparkling  in  the  sunshine.  Every  now 
and  then  a  shoal  of  flying-fish,  scared  from  the  water 
under  the  bows,  would  leap  into  the  air,  and  fall  the 
next  moment  like  a  shower  of  silver  into  the  sea.  Then 
you  would  see  the  superb  albicore,  with  his  glittering 
sides,  sailing  aloft,  and  often  describing  an  arc  in  his 
descent,  disappear  on  the  surface  of  the  water.  Far 
off,  the  lofty  jet  of  the  whale  might  be  seen,  and  riearer 
at  hand  the  prowling  shark,  that  villainous  footpad  of 
the  seas,  would  come  skulking  along,  and,  at  a  wary  dis 
tance,  regard  us  with  his  evil  eye.  At  times,  some 
shapeless  monster  of  the  deep,  floating  on  the  sur 
face,  would,  as  we  approached,  sink  slowly  into  the 
blue  waters  and  fade  away  from  the  sight.  But  the 
most  impressive  feature  of  the  scene  was  the  almost 
unbroken  silence  that  reigned  over  sky  and  water. 
Scarcely  a  sound  could  be  heard  but  the  occasional 
breathing  of  the  grampus  and  the  rippling  at  the  cut 
water. 

As  we  drew  nearer  the  land,  I  hailed  with  delight  the 
appearance  of  innumerable  sea- fowl.  Screaming  and  whirl 
ing  in  spiral  tracks,  they  would  accompany  the  vessel, 


12  TYPEE 

and  at  times  alight  on  our  yards  and  stays.  That  pi 
ratical-looking  fellow  appropriately  named  the  man-of- 
war's  hawk,  with  his  blood-red  bill  and  raven  plumage, 
would  come  sweeping  round  us  in  gradually  diminishing 
circles,  till  you  could  distinctly  mark  the  strange  flash 
ings  of  his  eye  and  then,  as  if  satisfied  with  his  obser 
vation,  would  sail  up  into  the  air  and  disappear  from 
the  view.  Soon  other  evidences  of  our  vicinity  to  the 
land  were  apparent,  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  glad 
announcement  of  its  being  in  sight  was  heard  from 
aloft — given  with  that  peculiar  prolongation  of  sound 
that  a  sailor  loves  —  "Land  ho!" 

The  captain,  darting  on  deck  from  the  cabin,  bawled 
lustily  for  his  spy-glass;  the  mate  in  still  louder  accents 
hailed  the  mast-head  with  a  tremendous  "Where-away?" 
The  black  cook  thrust  his  woolly  head  from  the  galley, 
and  Boatswain,  the  dog,  leaped  up  between  the  knight- 
heads  and  barked  most  furiously.  Land  ho!  Aye,  there 
it  was.  A  hardly  perceptible  blue  irregular  outline  indi 
cating  the  bold  contour  of  the  lofty  heights  of  Nuku- 
heva. 

This  island,  although  generally  called  one  of  the  Mar 
quesas,  is  by  some  navigators  considered  as  forming  one 
of  a  distinct  cluster,  comprising  the  islands  of  Ruhooka, 
Ropo,  and  Nukuheva;  upon  which  three  the  appellation 
of  the  Washington  Group  has  been  bestowed.  They 
form  a  triangle,  and  lie  within  the  parallels  of  8°  38" 
and  9°  32"  South  latitude,  and  139°  20'  and  140°  10' 
West  longitude  from  Greenwich.  With  how  little  pro 
priety  they  are  to  be  regarded  as  forming  a  separate 
group  will  be  at  once  apparent,  when  it  is  considered 
that  they  lie  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  other  islands, 
that  is  to  say,  less  than  a  degree  to  the  northwest  of 
them;  that  their  inhabitants  speak  the  Marquesan  dia- 


THE    BAY   OF    NUKUHEVA  13 

lect,  and  that  their  laws,  religion,  and  general  customs 
are  identical.  The  only  reason  why  they  were  ever 
thus  arbitrarily  distinguished  may  be  attributed  to 
the  singular  fact  that  their  existence  was  altogether 
unknown  to  the  world  until  the  year  1791,  when  they 
were  discovered  by  Captain  Ingraham,  of  Boston,  Massa 
chusetts,  nearly  two  centuries  after  the  discovery  of 
the  adjacent  islands  by  the  agent  of  the  Spanish  Viceroy. 
Notwithstanding  this,  I  shall  follow  the  example  of  most 
voyagers,  and  treat  of  them  as  forming  part  and  parcel 
of  the  Marquesas. 

Nukuheva  is  the  most  important  of  these  islands, 
being  the  only  one  at  which  ships  are  much  in  the  habit 
of  touching,  and  is  celebrated  as  being  the  place  where 
the  adventurous  Captain  Porter  refitted  his  ships  during 
the  late  war  between  England  and  the  United  States, 
and  whence  he  sallied  out  upon  the  large  whaling  fleet 
then  sailing  under  the  enemy's  flag  in  the  surrounding 
seas.  This  island  is  about  twenty  miles  in  length,  and 
nearly  as  many  in  breadth.  It  has  three  good  harbours 
on  its  coast;  the  largest  and  best  of  which  is  called  by 
the  people  living  in  its  vicinity  "Taiohae,"  and  by 
Captain  Porter  was  denominated  Massachusetts  Bay. 
Among  the  adverse  tribes  dwelling  about  the  shores  of 
the  other  bays,  and  by  all  voyagers,  it  is  generally 
known  by  the  name  bestowed  upon  the  island  itself  — 
Nukuheva.  Its  inhabitants  have  become  somewhat  cor 
rupted,  owing  to  their  recent  commerce  with  Europeans; 
but  so  far  as  regards  their  peculiar  customs  and  general 
mode  of  life,  they  retain  their  original  primitive  char 
acter,  remaining  very  nearly  in  the  same  state  of  nature 
in  which  they  were  first  beheld  by  white  men.  The 
hostile  clans,  residing  in  the  more  remote  sections  of 
the  island,  and  very  seldom  holding  any  communication 


14   ,  TYPEE 

with  foreigners,  are  in  every  respect  unchanged  from 
their  earliest  known  condition. 

In  the  bay  of  Nukuheva  was  the  anchorage  we  desired 
to  reach.  We  had  perceived  the  loom  of  the  mountains 
about  sunset;  so  that  after  running  all  night  with  a 
very  light  breeze,  we  found  ourselves  close  in  with  the 
island  the  next  morning;  but  as  the  bay  we  sought  lay 
on  its  farther  side,  we  were  obliged  to  sail  some  distance 
along  the  shore,  catching,  as  we  proceeded,  short  glimpses 
of  blooming  valleys,  deep  glens,  waterfalls,  and  waving 
groves,  hidden  here  and  there  by  projecting  and  rocky 
headlands,  every  moment  opening  to  the  view  some  new 
and  startling  scene  of  beauty. 

Those  who  for  the  first  time  visit  the  South  Seas 
generally  are  surprised  at  the  appearance  of  the  islands 
when  beheld  from  the  sea.  From  the  vague  accounts 
we  sometimes  have  of  their  beauty,  many  people  are  apt 
to  picture  to  themselves  enamelled  and  softly  swelling 
plains,  shaded  over  with  delicious  groves,  and  watered 
by  purling  brooks,  and  the  entire  country  but  little  ele 
vated  above  the  surrounding  ocean.  The  reality  is  very 
different;  bold  rock-bound  coasts,  with  the  surf  beating 
high  against  the  lofty  cliffs,  and  broken  here  and  there 
into  deep  inlets,  which  open  to  the  view  thickly  wooded 
valleys,  separated  by  the  spurs  of  mountains  clothed 
with  tufted  grass,  and  sweeping  down  towards  the  sea 
from  an  elevated  and  furrowed  interior,  form  the  prin 
cipal  features  of  these  islands. 

Towards  noon  we  drew  abreast  the  entrance  to  the 
harbour,  and  at  last  we  slowly  swept  by  the  intervening 
promontory  and  entered  the  bay  of  Nukuheva.  No  de 
scription  can  do  justice  to  its  beauty;  but  that  beauty 
was  lost  to  me  then,  and  I  saw  nothing  but  the  tri- 
colored  flag  of  France  trailing  over  the  stern  of  six 


THE    BAY   OF    NUKUHEVA  15 

vessels,  whose  black  hulls  and  bristling  broadsides  pro 
claimed  their  warlike  character.  There  they  were,  float 
ing  in  that  lovely  bay,  the  green  eminences  of  the  shore 
looking  down  so  tranquilly  upon  them,  as  if  rebuking 
the  sternness  of  their  aspect.  To  my  eye  nothing  could 
be  more  out  of  keeping  than  the  presence  of  these  ves 
sels;  but  we  soon  learnt  what  brought  them  there.  The 
whole  group  of  islands  had  just  been  taken  possession 
of  by  Rear  Admiral  Dupetit  Thouars,  in  the  name  of 
the  invincible  French  nation. 

This  item  of  information  was  imparted  to  us  by  a 
most  extraordinary  individual,  a  genuine  South  Sea  vaga 
bond,  who  came  alongside  of  us  in  a  whale-boat  as  soon 
as  we  entered  the  bay,  and  by  the  aid  of  some  benevo 
lent  persons  at  the  gangway  was  assisted  on  board;  for 
our  visitor  was  in  that  interesting  stage  of  intoxication 
when  a  man  is  amiable  and  helpless.  Although  he  was 
utterly  unable  to  stand  erect,  or  to  navigate  his  body 
across  the  deck,  he  still  magnanimously  proffered  his 
services  to  pilot  the  ship  to  a  good  and  secure  anchorage. 
Our  captain,  however,  rather  distrusted  his  ability  in 
this  respect,  and  refused  to  recognise  his  claim  to  the 
character  he  assumed;  but  our  gentleman  was  deter 
mined  to  play  his  part,  for  by  dint  of  much  scrambling 
he  succeeded  in  getting  into  the  weather-quarter  boat, 
where  he  steadied  himself  by  holding  on  to  a  shroud, 
and  then  commenced  issuing  his  commands  with  amaz 
ing  volubility  and  very  peculiar  gestures.  Of  course 
no  one  obeyed  his  orders;  but  as  it  was  impossible  to 
quiet  him,  we  swept  by  the  ships  of  the  squadron  with 
this  strange  fellow  performing  his  antics  in  full  view  of 
all  the  French  officers. 

We  afterwards  learned  that  our  eccentric  friend  had 
been  a  lieutenant  in  the  English  navy;  but  having  dis- 


i 6  TYPEE 

graced  his  flag  by  some  criminal  conduct  in  one  of  the 
principal  ports  on  the  main,  he  had  deserted  his  ship, 
and  spent  many  hours  wandering  among  the  islands  of 
the  Pacific,  until  accidentally  being  at  Nukuheva  when 
the  French  took  possession  of  the  place,  he  had  been  ap 
pointed  pilot  of  the  harbour  by  the  newly  constituted 
authorities. 

As  we  slowly  advanced  up  the  bay,  numerous  canoes 
pushed  off  from  the  surrounding  shores,  and  we  were 
soon  in  the  midst  of  quite  a  flotilla  of  them,  their  savage 
occupants  struggling  to  get  aboard  of  us,  and  jostling 
one  another  in  their  ineffectual  attempts.  Occasionally 
the  projecting  out-riggers  of  their  slight  shallops,  run 
ning  foul  of  one  another,  would  become  entangled 
beneath  the  water,  threatening  to  capsize  the  canoes, 
when  a  scene  of  confusion  would  ensue  that  baffles 
description.  Such  strange  outcries  and  passionate  ges 
ticulations  I  never  certainly  heard  or  saw  before.  You 
would  have  thought  the  islanders  were  on  the  point  of 
flying  at  one  another's  throats,  whereas  they  were  only 
amicably  engaged  in  disentangling  their  boats. 

Scattered  here  and  there  among  the  canoes  might  be 
seen  numbers  of  cocoa-nuts  floating  closely  together  in 
circular  groups  and  bobbing  up  and  down  with  every 
wave.  By  some  inexplicable  means  these  cocoa-nuts 
were  all  steadily  approaching  towards  the  ship.  As  I 
leaned  curiously  over  the  side,  endeavouring  to  solve 
their  mysterious  movements,  one  mass  far  in  advance 
of  the  rest  attracted  my  attention.  In  its  centre  was 
something  I  could  take  for  nothing  else  than  a  cocoa- 
nut,  but  which  I  certainly  considered  one  of  the  most 
extraordinary  specimens  of  the  fruit  I  had  ever  seen. 
It  kept  twirling  and  dancing  about  among  the  rest  in 
the  most  singular  manner,  and  as  it  drew  nearer,  I 


THE    BAY   OF    NUKUHEVA  17 

thought  it  bore  a  remarkable  resemblance  to  the  brown 
shaven  skull  of  one  of  the  savages.  Presently  it  be 
trayed  a  pair  of  eyes,  and  soon  I  became  aware  that 
what  I  had  supposed  to  have  been  one  of  the  fruit  was 
nothing  else  than  the  head  of  an  islander,  who  had 
adopted  this  singular  method  of  bringing  his  produce 
to  market.  The  cocoa-nuts  were  all  attached  to  one 
another  by  strips  of  the  husk,  partly  torn  from  the  shell 
and  rudely  fastened  together.  Their  proprietor,  insert 
ing  his  head  into  the  midst  of  them,  impelled  his  neck 
lace  of  cocoa-nuts  through  the  water  by  striking  out 
beneath  the  surface  with  his  feet. 

I  was  somewhat  astonished  to  perceive  that  among 
the  number  of  natives  that  surrounded  us,  not  a  single 
female  was  to  be  seen.  At  that  time  I  was  ignorant  of 
the  fact  that,  by  the  operation  of  the  "taboo,"  the  use 
of  canoes  in  all  parts  of  the  island  is  rigorously  pro 
hibited  to  the  entire  sex,  for  whom  it  is  death  even  to 
be  seen  entering  one  when  hauled  on  shore;  conse 
quently,  whenever  a  Marquesan  lady  voyages  by  water, 
she  puts  in  requisition  the  paddles  of  her  own  fair  body. 

We  had  approached  within  a  mile  and  a  half,  perhaps, 
of  the  foot  of  the  bay,  when  some  of  the  islanders,  who 
by  this  time  had  managed  to  scramble  aboard  of  us  at 
the  risk  of  swamping  their  canoes,  directed  our  attention 
to  a  singular  commotion  in  the  water  ahead  of  the  ves 
sel.  At  first  I  imagined  it  to  be  produced  by  a  shoal 
of  fish  sporting  on  the  surface,  but  our  savage  friends 
assured  us  that  it  was  caused  by  a  shoal  of  "whin- 
henies"  (young  girls),  who  in  this  manner  were  coming 
off  from  the  shore  to  welcome  us.  As  they  drew  nearer, 
and  I  watched  the  rising  and  sinking  of  their  forms, 
and  beheld  the  uplifted  right  arm  bearing  above  the 
water  the  girdle  of  tappa,  and  their  long  dark  hair 


i8  TYPEE 

trailing  beside  them  as  they  swam,  I  almost  fancied 
they  could  be  nothing  else  than  so  many  mermaids  — 
and  very  like  mermaids  they  behaved  too. 

We  were  still  some  distance  from  the  beach,  and 
under  slow  headway,  when  we  sailed  right  into  the 
midst  of  the  swimming  nymphs,  and  they  boarded  us 
at  every  quarter;  many  seizing  hold  of  the  chain-plates 
and  springing  into  the  chains;  others,  at  the  peril  of 
being  run  over  by  the  vessel  in  her  course,  catching  at 
the  bob-stays,  and  wreathing  their  slender  forms  about 
the  ropes,  hung  suspended  in  the  air.  All  of  them  at 
length  succeeded  in  getting  up  the  ship's  side,  where 
they  clung  dripping  with  the  brine,  and  glowing  from  the 
bath,  their  jet-black  tresses  streaming  over  their  shoul 
ders,  and  half  enveloping  their  otherwise  naked  forms. 
There  they  hung,  sparkling  with  savage  vivacity,  laugh 
ing  gayly  at  one  another,  and  chattering  away  with 
infinite  glee.  Nor  were  they  idle  the  while,  for  each 
one  performed  the  simple  offices  of  the  toilet  for  the 
other.  Their  luxuriant  locks,  wound  up  and  twisted 
into  the  smallest  possible  compass,  were  freed  from  the 
briny  element;  the  whole  person  carefully  dried,  and 
from  a  little  round  shell  that  passed  from  hand  to  hand, 
anointed  with  a  fragrant  oil:  their  adornments  were 
completed  by  passing  a  few  loose  folds  of  white  tappa,  in 
a  modest  cincture,  around  the  waist.  Thus  arrayed,  they 
no  longer  hesitated,  but  flung  themselves  lightly  over 
the  bulwarks,  and  were  quickly  frolicking  about  the 
decks.  Many  of  them  went  forward,  perching  upon 
the  head-rails,  or  running  out  upon  the  bowsprit,  while 
others  seated  themselves  upon  the  taffrail,  or  reclined 
at  full  length  upon  the  boats. 

Their  appearance  perfectly  amazed  me;  their  extreme 
youth,  the  light  clear  brown  of  their  complexions,  their 


THE    BAY   OF    NUKUHEVA  19 

delicate  features  and  inexpressibly  graceful  figures, 
their  softly  moulded  limbs,  and  free  unstudied  action, 
seemed  as  strange  as  beautiful. 

The  Dolly  was  fairly  captured;  and  never  I  will  say 
was  vessel  carried  before  by  such  a  dashing  and  irresis 
tible  party  of  boarders!  The  ship  taken,  we  could  not 
do  otherwise  than  yield  ourselves  prisoners.  In  the 
evening  after  we  had  come  to  an  anchor  the  deck  was 
illuminated  with  lanterns,  and  this  picturesque  band  of 
sylphs,  tricked  out  with  flowers,  and  dressed  in  robes  of 
variegated  tappa,  got  up  a  ball  in  great  style.  These 
females  are  passionately  fond  of  dancing,  and  in  the 
wild  grace  and  spirit  of  their  style  excel  everything  that 
I  have  ever  seen.  The  varied  dances  of  the  Marquesan 
girls  are  beautiful  in  the  extreme,  but  there  is  an  aban 
doned  voluptuousness  in  their  character  which  I  dare 
not  attempt  to  describe. 


CHAPTER    IV* 
RESOLVE    TO    ESCAPE 

OUR  ship  had  not  been  many  days  in  the  harbour  of 
Nukuheva  before  I  came  to  the  determination  of  leav 
ing  her.  That  my  reasons  for  resolving  to  take  this 
step  were  numerous  and  weighty  may  be  inferred  from 
the  fact  that  I  chose  rather  to  risk  my  fortunes  among 
the  savages  of  the  island  than  to  endure  another  voyage 
on  board  the  Dolly.  To  use  the  concise,  point-blank 
phrase  of  the  sailors,  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  "run 
away."  Now,  as  a  meaning  is  generally  attached  to 
these  two  words  no  way  flattering  to  the  individual 
to  whom  they  are  applied,  it  behoves  me,  for  the  sake 
of  my  own  character,  to  offer  some  explanation  of  my 
conduct. 

When  I  entered  on  board  the  Dolly,  I  signed,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  the  ship's  articles,  thereby  voluntarily 
engaging  and  legally  binding  myself  to  serve  in  a  cer 
tain  capacity  for  the  period  of  the  voyage;  and,  special 
considerations  apart,  I  was  of  course  bound  to  fulfill  the 
agreement.  But  in  all  contracts,  if  one  party  fail  to 
perform  his  share  of  the  compact,  is  not  the  other  virtu 
ally  absolved  from  his  liability?  Who  is  there  who  will 
not  answer  in  the  affirmative? 

Having  settled  the  principle,  then,  let  me  apply  it  to 
the  particular  case  in  question.  In  numberless  instances 
had  not  only  the  implied  but  the  specified  conditions 

*  Chapter  III,  an  account  of  the  French  and  the  missionaries, 
has  been  omitted  from  this  edition. 

20 


RESOLVE    TO    ESCAPE  21 

of  the  articles  been  violated  on  the  part  of  the  ship  in 
which  I  served.  The  usage  on  board  of  her  was  tyran 
nical;  the  sick  had  been  inhumanly  neglected;  the  pro 
visions  had  been  doled  out  in  scanty  allowance;  and  her 
cruises  were  unreasonably  protracted.  The  captain  was 
the  author  of  these  abuses;  it  was  in  vain  to  think  that 
he  would  either  remedy  them  or  alter  his  conduct,  which 
was  arbitrary  and  violent  in  the  extreme.  His  prompt 
reply  to  all  complaints  and  remonstrances  was  —  the  butt- 
end  of  a  hand-spike,  so  convincingly  administered  as 
effectually  to  silence  the  aggrieved  party. 

To  whom  could  we  apply  for  redress?  We  had  left 
both  law  and  equity  on  the  other  side  of  the  Cape;  and 
unfortunately,  with  a  very  few  exceptions,  our  crew  was 
composed  of  a  parcel  of  dastardly  and  mean-spirited 
wretches,  divided  among  ourselves,  and  only  united  in 
enduring  without  resistance  the  unmitigated  tyranny 
of  the  captain.  It  would  have  been  mere  madness  for 
any  two  or  three  of  the  number,  unassisted  by  the  rest, 
to  attempt  making  a  stand  against  his  ill-usage.  They 
would  only  have  called  down  upon  themselves  the  par 
ticular  vengeance  of  this  "Lord  of  the  Plank,"  and  sub 
jected  their  shipmates  to  additional  hardships. 

But,  after  -all,  these  things  could  have  been  endured 
awhile,  had  we  entertained  the  hope  of  being  speedily 
delivered  from  them  by  the  due  completion  of  the  term 
of  our  servitude.  But  what  a  dismal  prospect  awaited 
us  in  this  quarter!  The  longevity  of  Cape  Horn  whal 
ing  voyages  is  proverbial,  frequently  extending  over  a 
period  of  four  or  five  years.  Some  long-haired,  bare 
necked  youths,  who,  forced  by  the  united  influences  of 
Captain  Marryatt  and  hard  times,  embark  at  Nan- 
tucket  for  a  pleasure  excursion  to  the  Pacific,  and  whose 
anxious  mothers  provide  them  with  bottled  milk  for  the 


22  TYPEE 

occasion,  oftentimes  return  very  respectable  middle-aged 
gentleman. 

The  very  preparations  made  for  one  of  these  expedi 
tions  are  enough  to  frighten  one.  As  the  vessel  carries 
out  no  cargo,  her  hold  is  filled  with  provisions  for  her 
own  consumption.  The  owners,  who  officiate  as  caterers 
for  the  voyage,  supply  the  larder  with  an  abundance 
of  dainties.  Delicate  morsels  of  beef  and  pork,  cut  on 
scientific  principles  from  every  part  of  the  animal,  and 
of  all  conceivable  shapes  and  sizes,  are  carefully  packed 
in  salt  and  stored  away  in  barrels,  affording  a  never- 
ending  variety  in  their  different  degrees  of  toughness, 
and  in  the  peculiarities  of  their  saline  properties.  Choice 
old  water  too,  decanted  into  stout  six-barrel-casks, 
two  pints  of  which  are  allowed  every  day  to  each  soul  on 
board,  together  with  ample  store  of  sea-bread,  previously 
reduced  to  a  state  of  petrifaction  with  a  view  to  preserve 
it  either  from  decay  or  consumption  in  the  ordinary 
mode,  are  likewise  provided  for  the  nourishment  and 
gastronomic  enjoyment  of  the  crew. 

But  not  to  speak  of  the  quality  of  these  articles  of 
sailors'  fare,  the  abundance  in  which  they  are  put  on 
board  a  whaling  vessel  is  almost  incredible.  Oftentimes, 
when  we  had  occasion  to  break  out  in  the  hold,  and  I 
beheld  the  successive  tiers  of  casks  and  barrels,  whose 
contents  were  all  destined  to  be  consumed  in  due  course 
by  the  ship's  company,  my  heart  sank  within  me. 

Although,  as  a  general  case,  a  ship  unlucky  in  falling 
in  with  whales  continues  to  cruise  after  them  until  she 
has  barely  sufficient  provisions  remaining  to  take  her 
home,  turning  round  then  quietly  and  making  the  best 
of  her  way  to  her  friends,  yet  there  are  instances  when 
even  this  natural  obstacle  to  the  further  prosecution  of 
the  voyage  is  overcome  by  headstrong  captains,  who, 


RESOLVE    TO    ESCAPE  23 

bartering  the  fruits  of  their  hard-earned  toils  for  a  new 
supply  of  provisions  in  some  of  the  ports  of  Chili  or 
Peru,  begin  the  voyage  afresh,  with  unabated  zeal  and 
perseverance.  It  is  in  vain  that  the  owners  write  urgent 
letters  to  him  to  sail  for  home,  and  for  their  sake  to  bring 
back  the  ship,  since  it  appears  he  can  put  nothing  in 
her.  Not  he.  He  has  registered  a  vow:  he  will  fill  his 
vessel  with  good  sperm  oil,  or  failing  to  do  so,  never 
again  strike  Yankee  soundings. 

I  heard  of  one  whaler  which  after  many  years'  ab 
sence  was  given  up  for  lost.  The  last  that  had  been 
heard  of  her  was  a  shadowy  report  of  her  having  touched 
at  some  of  those  unstable  islands  in  the  far  Pacific 
whose  eccentric  wanderings  are  carefully  noted  in  each 
new  edition  of  the  South  Sea  charts.  After  a  long  in 
terval,  however,  the  Perseverance  —  for  that  was  her 
name  —  was  spoken  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
ends  of  the  earth,  cruising  along  as  leisurely  as  ever, 
her  sails  all  bepatched  and  bequilted  with  rope-yarns, 
her  spars  fished  with  old  pipe  stores,  and  her  rigging 
knotted  and  spliced  in  every  possible  direction.  Her 
crew  was  composed  of  some  twenty  venerable  Greenwich- 
pensioner-looking  old  salts,  who  just  managed  to  hobble 
about  deck.  The  ends  of  all  the  running  ropes,  with  the 
exception  of  the  signal  halyards  and  poop-down-haul, 
were  rove  through  snatch-blocks,  and  led  to  the  capstan 
or  windlass,  so  that  not  a  yard  was  braced  or  a  sail  set 
without  the  assistance  of  machinery. 

Her  hull  was  encrusted  with  barnacles,  which  com 
pletely  encased  her.  Three  pet  sharks  followed  in  her 
wake,  and  every  day  came  alongside  to  regale  themselves 
from  the  contents  of  the  cook's  bucket,  which  were 
pitched  over  to  them.  A  vash  shoal  of  bonetas  and 
albicores  always  kept  her  company. 


24  TYPEE 

Such  was  the  account  I  heard  of  this  vessel,  and  the 
remembrance  of  it  always  haunted  me;  what  eventually 
became  of  her  I  never  learned;  at  any  rate  she  never 
reached  home,  and  I  suppose  she  is  still  regularly  tack 
ing  twice  in  the  twenty- four  hours  somewhere  off  Deso 
late  Island,  or  the  DeviFs-Tail  Peak. 

Having  said  thus  much  touching  the  usual  length  of 
these  voyages,  when  I  inform  the  reader  that  ours  had 
as  it  were  just  commenced,  we  being  only  fifteen  months 
out,  and  even  at  that  time  hailed  as  a  late  arrival  and 
boarded  for  news,  he  will  readily  perceive  that  there  was 
little  to  encourage  one  in  looking  forward  to  the  future, 
especially  as  I  had  always  had  a  presentiment  that  we 
should  make  an  unfortunate  voyage,  and  our  experience 
so  far  had  justified  the  expectation. 

I  may  here  state,  and  on  my  faith  as  an  honest  man, 
that  though  more  than  three  years  have  elapsed  since  I 
left  this  same  identical  vessel,  she  still  continues  in  the 
Pacific;  and  but  a  few  days  since  I  saw  her  reported  in 
the  papers  as  having  touched  at  the  Sandwich  Islands, 
previous  to  going  on  the  coast  of  Japan. 

But  to  return  to  my  narrative.  Placed  in  these  cir 
cumstances,  then,  with  no  prospect  of  matters  mending 
if  I  remained  aboard  the  Dolly,  I  at  once  made  up  my 
mind  to  leave  her;  to  be  sure,  it  was  rather  an  inglorious 
thing  to  steal  away  privately  from  those  at  whose  hands  I 
had  received  wrongs  and  outrages  that  I  could  not  re 
sent;  but  how  was  such  a  course  to  be  avoided  when  it 
was  the  only  alternative  left  me?  Having  made  up  my 
mind,  I  proceeded  to  acquire  all  the  information  I  could 
obtain  relating  to  the  island  and  its  inhabitants,  with  a 
view  of  shaping  my  plans  of  escape  accordingly.  The 
result  of  these  inquiries  I  will  now  state,  in  order  that 
the  ensuing  narrative  may  be  the  better  understood. 


RESOLVE   TO    ESCAPE  25 

The  bay  of  Nukuheva,  in  which  we  were  then  lying,  is 
an  expanse  of  water  not  unlike  a  horse-shoe.  It  is,  per 
haps,  nine  miles  in  circumference.  You  approach  it  from 
the  sea  by  a  narrow  entrance,  flanked  on  either  side  by 
two  small  twin  islets  which  soar  conically  to  the  height  of 
some  five  hundred  feet.  From  these  the  shore  recedes 
on  both  hands,  and  describes  a  deep  semicircle. 

From  the  verge  of  the  water  the  land  rises  uniformly 
on  all  sides,  with  green  and  sloping  acclivities,  until 
from  gently  rolling  hillsides  and  moderate  elevations  it 
insensibly  swells  into  lofty  and  majestic  heights,  whose 
blue  outlines,  ranged  all  around,  close  in  the  view.  The 
beautiful  aspect  of  the  shore  is  heightened  by  deep  and 
romantic  glens,  which  come  down  to  it  at  almost  equal 
distances,  all  apparently  radiating  from  a  common  cen 
tre,  and  the  upper  extremities  of  which  are  lost  to  the 
eye  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  mountains.  Down  each 
of  these  little  valleys  flows  a  clear  stream,  here  and  there 
assuming  the  form  of  a  slender  cascade,  then  stealing 
invisibly  along  until  it  bursts  upon  the  sight  again  in 
larger  and  more  noisy  waterfalls,  and  at  last  demurely 
wanders  along  to  the  sea. 

The  houses  of  the  natives,  constructed  of  the  yellow 
bamboo,  tastefully  twisted  together  in  a  kind  of  wicker- 
work,  and  thatched  with  long  tapering  leaves  of  the 
palmetto,  are  scattered  irregularly  along  these  valleys  be 
neath  the  shady  branches  of  the  cocoa-nut  trees. 

Nothing  can  exceed  the  imposing  scenery  of  this  bay. 
Viewed  from  our  ship  as  she  lay  at  anchor  in  the  middle 
of  the  harbour,  it  presented  the  appearance  of  a  vast 
natural  ampitheatre  in  decay,  and  overgrown  with  vines, 
the  deep  glens  that  furrowed  its  sides  appearing  like 
enormous  fissures  caused  by  the  ravages  of  time.  Very 
often  when  lost  in  admiration  at  its  beauty,  I  have  ex- 


26  TYPEE 

perienced  a  pang  of  regret  that  a  scene  so  enchanting 
should  be  hidden  from  the  world  in  these  remote  seas, 
and  seldom  meet  the  eyes  of  devoted  lovers  of  nature. 

Besides  this  bay  the  shores  of  the  island  are  indented 
by  several  other  extensive  inlets,  into  which  descend  broad 
and  verdant  valleys.  These  are  inhabited  by  as  many 
distinct  tribes  of  savages,  who,  although  speaking  kin 
dred  dialects  of  a  common  language,  and  having  the 
same  religion  and  laws,  have  from  time  immemorial 
waged  hereditary  warfare  against  each  other.  The  in 
tervening  mountains,  generally  two  or  three  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  geographically  define  the 
territories  of  each  of  these  hostile  tribes,  who  never  cross 
them  save  on  some  expedition  of  war  or  plunder.  Im 
mediately  adjacent  to  Nukuheva,  and  only  separated 
from  it  by  the  mountains  seen  from  the  harbour,  lies  the 
lovely  valley  of  Happar,  whose  inmates  cherish  the  most 
friendly  relations  with  the  inhabitants  of  Nukuheva. 
On  the  other  side  of  Happar,  and  closely  adjoining  it,  is 
the  magnificent  valley  of  the  dreaded  Typees,  the  unap 
peasable  enemies  of  both  these  tribes. 

These  celebrated  warriors  appear  to  inspire  the  other 
islanders  with  unspeakable  terrors.  Their  very  name  is 
a  frightful  one;  for  the  word  "Typee"  in  the  Marque- 
san  dialect  signifies  a  lover  of  human  flesh.  It  is  rather 
singular  that  the  title  should  have  been  bestowed  upon 
them  exclusively,  inasmuch  as  the  natives  of  all  this 
group  are  irreclaimable  cannibals.  The  name  may,  per 
haps,  have  been  given  to  denote  the  peculiar  ferocity  of 
this  clan,  and  to  convey  a  special  stigma  along  with  it. 

These  same  Typees  enjoy  a  prodigious  notoriety  all 
over  the  islands.  The  natives  of  Nukuheva  would  fre 
quently  recount  in  pantomime  to  our  ship's  company 
their  terrible  feats,  and  would  show  the  marks  of  wounds 


RESOLVE   TO    ESCAPE  27 

they  had  received  in  desperate  encounters  with  them. 
When  ashore  they  would  try  to  frighten  us  by  pointing 
to  one  of  their  own  number,  and  calling  him  a  Typee, 
manifesting  no  little  surprise  that  we  did  not  take  to  our 
heels  at  so  terrible  an  announcement.  It  was  quite 
amusing,  too,  to  see  with  what  earnestness  they  disclaimed 
all  cannibal  propensities  on  their  own  part,  while  they 
denounced  their  enemies  —  the  Typees  —  as  inveterate 
gormandizers  of  human  flesh;  but  this  is  a  peculiarity 
to  which  I  shall  hereafter  have  occasion  to  allude. 

Although  I  was  convinced  that  the  inhabitants  of  our 
bay  were  as  arrant  cannibals  as  any  of  the  other  tribes 
on  the  island,  still  I  could  not  but  feel  a  particular  and 
most  unqualified  repugnance  to  the  aforesaid  Typees. 
Even  before  visiting  the  Marquesas,  I  had  heard  from 
men  who  had  touched  at  the  group  on  former  voyages 
some  revolting  stories  in  connection  with  these  savages; 
and  fresh  in  my  remembrance  was  the  adventure  of  the 
master  of  the  Katherine,  who  only  a  few  months  pre 
vious,  imprudently  venturing  into  this  bay  in  an  armed 
boat  for  the  purpose  of  barter,  was  seized  by  the  natives, 
carried  back  a  little  distance  into  this  valley,  and  was 
only  saved  from  a  cruel  death  by  the  intervention  of  a 
young  girl,  who  facilitated  his  escape  by  night  along 
the  beach  to  Nukuheva. 

I  had  heard,  too,  of  an  English  vessel  that  many  years 
ago,  after  a  weary  cruise,  sought  to  enter  the  bay  of 
Nukuheva,  and  arriving  within  two  or  three  miles  of  the 
land,  was  met  by  a  large  canoe  filled  with  natives,  who 
offered  to  lead  the  way  to  the  place  of  their  destination. 
The  captain,  unacquainted  with  the  localities  of  the 
island,  joyfully  acceded  to  the  proposition  —  the  canoe 
paddled  on,  and  the  ship  followed.  She  was  soon  con 
ducted  to  a  beautiful  inlet,  and  dropped  her  anchor  in 


28  TYPEE 

its  waters,  beneath  the  shadows  of  the  lofty  shore.  That 
same  night  the  perfidious  Typees,  who  had  thus  inveigled 
her  into  their  fatal  bay,  flocked  aboard  the  doomed 
vessel  by  hundreds,  and  at  a  given  signal  murdered 
every  soul  on  board. 

I  shall  never  forget  the  observation  of  one  of  our  crew 
as  we  were  passing  slowly  by  the  entrance  of  this  bay 
on  our  way  to  Nukuheva.  As  we  stood  gazing  over  the 
side  at  the  verdant  headlands,  Ned,  pointing  with  his 
hand  in  the  direction  of  the  treacherous  valley,  ex 
claimed,  "There  —  there's  Typee.  Oh,  the  bloody  can 
nibals,  what  a  meal  they'd  make  of  us  if  we  were  to 
take  it  into  our  heads  to  land!  But  they  say  they  don't 
like  sailor's  flesh;  it's  too  salt.  I  say,  maty,  how  should 
you  like  to  be  shoved  ashore  there,  eh?"  I  little  thought, 
as  I  shuddered  at  the  question,  that  in  the  space  of  a 
few  weeks  I  should  actually  be  a  captive  in  that  self 
same  valley. 

The  French,  although  they  had  gone  through  the 
ceremony  of  hoisting  their  colours  for  a  few  hours  at  all 
the  principal  places  of  the  group,  had  not  as  yet  visited 
the  bay  of  Typee,  anticipating  a  fierce  resistance  on  the 
part  of  the  savages  there,  which  for  the  present  at  least 
they  wished  to  avoid.  Perhaps  they  were  not  a  little 
influenced  in  the  adoption  of  this  unusual  policy  from  a 
recollection  of  the  warlike  reception  given  by  the  Typees 
to  the  forces  of  Captain  Porter,  about  the  year  1814, 
when  that  brave  and  accomplished  officer  endeavoured 
to  subjugate  the  clan  merely  to  gratify  the  mortal  hatred 
of  his  allies  the  Nukuhevas  and  Happars. 

On  that  occasion  I  have  been  told  that  a  considerable 
detachment  of  sailors  and  marines  from  the  frigate  Essex 
accompanied  by  at  least  two  thousand  warriors  of  Happar 
and  Nukuheva,  landed  in  boats  and  canoes  at  the  head  of 


RESOLVE    TO    ESCAPE  29 

the  bay,  and  after  penetrating  a  little  distance  into  the 
valley,  met  with  the  stoutest  resistance  from  its  inmates. 
Valiantly,  although  with  much  loss,  the  Typees  dis 
puted  every  inch  of  ground,  and  after  some  hard  fight 
ing  obliged  the  assailants  to  retreat  and  abandon  their 
design  of  conquest. 

The  invaders,  on  their  march  back  to  the  sea,  con 
soled  themselves  for  their  repulse  by  setting  fire  to 
every  house  and  temple  on  their  route;  and  a  long  line 
of  smoking  ruins  defaced  the  once-smiling  bosom  of  the 
valley,  and  proclaimed  to  its  pagan  inhabitants  the 
spirit  that  reigned  in  the  breasts  of  Christian  soldiers. 
Who  can  wonder  at  the  deadly  hatred  of  the  Typees  to 
all  foreigners  after  such  unprovoked  atrocities? 

Thus  it  is  that  they  whom  we  dominate  "savages" 
are  made  to  deserve  the  title.  When  the  inhabitants  of 
some  sequestered  island  first  descry  the  "big  canoe"  of 
the  European  rolling  through  the  blue  waters  towards 
their  shores,  they  rush  down  to  the  beach  in  crowds, 
and  with  open  arms  stand  ready  to  embrace  the  stran 
gers.  Fatal  embrace!  They  fold  to  their  bosoms  the 
vipers  whose  sting  is  destined  to  poison  all  their  joys; 
and  the  instinctive  feeling  of  love  within  their  breasts 
is  soon  converted  into  the  bitterest  hate. 

The  enormities  perpetrated  in  the  South  Seas  upon 
some  of  the  inoffensive  islanders  well  nigh  pass  belief. 
These  things  are  seldom  proclaimed  at  home;  they  hap 
pen  at  the  very  ends  of  the  earth;  they  are  done  in  a 
corner,  and  there  are  none  to  reveal  them.  But  there 
is,  nevertheless,  many  a  petty  trader  that  has  navigated 
the  Pacific,  whose  course  from  island  to  island  might  be 
traced  by  a  series  of  cold-blooded  robberies,  kidnappings, 
and  murders,  the  iniquity  of  which  might  be  considered 
almost  sufficient  to  sink  her  guilty  timbers  to  the  bot 
tom  of  the  sea. 


30  TYPEE 

Sometimes  vague  accounts  of  such  things  reach  our 
firesides,  and  we  coolly  censure  them  as  wrong,  impoli 
tic,  needlessly  severe,  and  dangerous  to  the  crews  of  other 
vessels.  How  different  is  our  tone  when  we  read  the 
highly  wrought  description  of  the  massacre  of  the  crew 
of  the  Hobomak  by  the  Feejees!  how  we  sympathise  for 
the  unhappy  victims,  and  with  what  horror  do  we  regard 
the  diabolical  heathens,  who,  after  all,  have  but  avenged 
the  unprovoked  injuries  which  they  have  received!  We 
breathe  nothing  but  vengeance,  and  equip  armed  vessels 
to  traverse  thousands  of  miles  of  ocean  in  order  to  exe 
cute  summary  punishment  upon  the  offenders.  On  arriv 
ing  at  their  destination,  they  burn,  slaughter,  and  destroy, 
according  to  the  tenor  of  written  instructions,  and  sailing 
away  from  the  scene  of  devastation,  call  upon  all  Chris 
tendom  to  applaud  their  courage  and  their  justice. 

How  often  is  the  term  "savages"  incorrectly  applied! 
None  really  deserving  of  it  were  ever  discovered  by 
voyagers  or  by  travellers.  They  have  discovered 
heathens  and  barbarians,  whom  by  horrible  cruelties 
they  have  exasperated  into  savages.  It  may  be  asserted, 
without  fear  of  contradiction,  that  in  all  the  cases  of 
outrages  committed  by  Polynesians,  Europeans  have  at 
some  time  or  other  been  the  aggressors,  and  that  the 
cruel  and  bloodthirsty  disposition  of  some  of  the  island 
ers  is  mainly  to  be  ascribed  to  the  influence  of  such 
examples. 

But  to  return.  Owing  to  the  mutual  hostilities  of 
the  different  tribes  I  have  mentioned,  the  mountainous 
tracts  which  separate  their  respective  territories  remain 
altogether  uninhabited,  the  natives  invariably  dwelling 
in  the  depths  of  the  valleys,  with  a  view  of  securing 
themselves  from  the  predatory  incursions  of  their  ene 
mies,  who  often  lurk  along  their  borders,  ready  to  cut 


RESOLVE    TO    ESCAPE  31 

off  any  imprudent  straggler  or  make  a  descent  upon 
the  inmates  of  some  sequestered  habitation.  I  several 
times  met  with  very  aged  men  who  from  this  cause  had 
never  passed  the  confines  of  their  native  vale,  some  of 
them  having  never  even  ascended  midway  up  the  moun 
tains  in  the  whole  course  of  their  lives,  and  who,  accord 
ingly,  had  little  idea  of  the  appearance  of  any  other 
part  of  the  island,  the  whole  of  which  is  not  perhaps 
more  than  sixty  miles  in  circuit.  The  little  space  in 
which  some  of  these  clans  pass  away  their  days  would 
seem  almost  incredible. 

The  glen  of  Tior  will  furnish  a  curious  illustration  of 
this.  The  inhabited  part  is  not  more  than  four  miles  in 
length,  and  varies  in  breadth  from  half  a  mile  to  less 
than  a  quarter.  The  rocky  vine-clad  cliffs  on  one  side 
tower  almost  perpendicularly  from  their  base  to  the 
height  of  at  least  fifteen  hundred  feet;  while  across  the 
vale  —  in  striking  contrast  to  the  scenery  opposite — • 
grass-grown  elevations  rise  one  above  another  in  bloom 
ing  terraces.  Hemmed  in  by  these  stupendous  barriers, 
the  valley  would  be  altogether  shut  out  from  the  rest  of 
the  world,  were  it  not  that  it  is  accessible  from  the  sea 
at  one  end  and  by  a  narrow  defile  at  the  other. 

The  impression  produced  upon  my  mind,  when  I  first 
visited  this  beautiful  glen,  will  never  be  obliterated. 

I  had  come  from  Nukuheva  by  water  in  the  ship's 
boat,  and  when  we  entered  the  bay  of  Tior  it  was  high 
noon.  The  heat  had  been  intense,  as  we  had  been 
floating  upon  the  long  smooth  swell  of  the  ocean,  for 
there  was  but  little  wind.  The  sun's  rays  had  expended 
all  their  fury  upon  us;  and  to  add  to  our  discomfort, 
We  had  omitted  to  supply  ourselves  with  water  previous 
to  starting.  What  with  heat  and  thirst  together,  I 
became  so  impatient  to  get  ashore  that  when  at  last 


32  TYPEE 

we  glided  towards  it,  I  stood  up  in  the  bow  of  the  boat 
ready  for  a  spring.  As  she  shot  two-thirds  of  her  length 
high  upon  the  beach,  propelled  by  three  or  four  strong 
strokes  of  the  oars,  I  leaped  among  a  parcel  of  juvenile 
savages,  who  stood  prepared  to  give  us  a  kind  recep 
tion;  and  with  them  at  my  heels,  yelling  like  so  many 
imps,  I  rushed  forward  across  the  open  ground  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  sea,  and  plunged,  diver  fashion,  into  the 
recess  of  the  first  grove  that  offered. 

What  a  delightful  sensation  did  I  experience!  I  felt 
as  if  floating  in  some  new  element,  while  all  sorts  of 
gurgling,  trickling  liquid  sounds  fell  upon  my  ear.  Peo 
ple  may  say  what  they  will  about  the  refreshing  influ 
ences  of  a  cold-water  bath,  but  commend  me  when  in 
a  perspiration  to  the  shade  baths  of  Tior,  beneath  the 
cocoa-nut  trees,  and  amidst  the  cool  delightful  atmos 
phere  which  surrounds  them. 

How  shall  I  describe  the  scenery  that  met  my  eye,  as 
I  looked  out  from  this  verdant  recess!  The  narrow 
valley,  with  its  steep  and  close  adjoining  sides  dra- 
peried  with  vines  and  arched  overhead  with  a  fret-work 
of  interlacing  boughs,  nearly  hidden  from  view  by  masses 
of  leafy  verdure,  seemed  from  where  I  stood  like  an 
immense  arbor  disclosing  its  vista  to  the  eye,  whilst 
as  I  advanced  it  insensibly  widened  into  the  loveliest 
vale  eye  ever  beheld. 

It  so  happened  that  the  very  day  I  was  in  Tior  the 
French  admiral,  attended  by  all  the  boats  of  his  squad 
ron,  came  down  in  state  from  Nukuheva  to  take  formal 
possession  of  the  place.  He  remained  in  the  valley 
about  two  hours,  during  which  time  he  had  a  ceremo- 
.nious  interview  with  the  king.  The  patriarch-sovereign 
of  Tior  was  a  man  very  far  advanced  in  years;  but 
though  age  had  bowed  his  form  and  rendered  him  almost 


RESOLVE   TO    ESCAPE  33 

decrepit,  his  gigantic  frame  retained  all  its  original  mag 
nitude  and  grandeur  of  appearance.  He  advanced 
slowly  and  with  evident  pain,  assisting  his  tottering 
steps  with  the  heavy  war-spear  he  held  in  his  hand,  and 
attended  by  a  group  of  grey-bearded  chiefs,  on  one  of 
whom  he  occasionally  leaned  for  support.  The  admiral 
came  forward  with  head  uncovered  and  extended  hand, 
while  the  old  king  saluted  him  by  a  stately  flourish  of 
his  weapon.  The  next  moment  they  stood  side  by  side, 
these  two  extremes  in  the  social  scale  —  the  polished, 
splendid  Frenchman  and  the  poor  tattooed  savage.  They 
were  both  tall  and  noble-looking  men;  but  in  other  re 
spects  how  strikingly  contrasted!  Dupetit  Thousars 
exhibited  upon  his  person  all  the  paraphernalia  of  his 
naval  rank.  He  wore  a  richly  decorated  admiral's  frock- 
coat,  a  laced  chapeau  bras,  and  upon  his  breast  were  a 
variety  of  ribbons  and  orders;  while  the  simple  islander, 
with  the  exception  of  a  slight  cincture  about  his  loins, 
appeared  in  all  the  nakedness  of  nature. 


CHAPTER    V 
TOBY'S    RESOLVE 

HAVING  fully  resolved  to  leave  the  vessel  clandes 
tinely,  and  having  acquired  all  the  knowledge  concern 
ing  the  bay  that  I  could  obtain  under  the  circumstances 
in  which  I  was  placed,  I  now  deliberately  turned  over 
in  my  mind  every  plan  of  escape  that  suggested  itself, 
being  determined  to  act  with  all  possible  prudence  in 
an  attempt  where  failure  would  be  attended  with  so 
many  disagreeable  consequences.  The  idea  of  being 
taken  and  brought  back  ignominiously  to  the  ship  was 
so  inexpressibly  repulsive  to  me  that  I  was  determined 
by  no  hasty  and  imprudent  measures  to  render  such  an 
event  probable. 

I  knew  that  our  worthy  captain,  who  felt  such  a 
paternal  solicitude  for  the  welfare  of  his  crew',  would 
not  willingly  consent  that  one  of  his  best  hands  should 
encounter  the  perils  of  a  sojourn  among  the  natives  of  a 
barbarous  island;  and  I  was  certain  that  in  the  event 
of  my  disappearance,  his  fatherly  anxiety  would  prompt 
him  to  offer,  by  way  of  a  reward,  yard  upon  yard  of 
gayly  printed  calico  for  my  apprehension.  He  might 
even  have  appreciated  my  services  at  the  value  of  a 
musket,  in  which  case  I  felt  perfectly  certain  that  the 
whole  population  of  the  bay  would  be  immediately  upon 
my  track,  incited  by  the  prospect  of  so  magnificent  a 
bounty. 

Having  ascertained  the  fact  before  alluded  to,  that 

34 


TOBY'S    RESOLVE  35 

the  islanders,  from  motives  of  precaution,  dwelt  alto 
gether  in  the  depths  of  the  valleys  and  avoided  wan 
dering  about  the  more  elevated  portions  of  the  shore, 
unless  bound  on  some  expedition  of  war  or  plunder,  I 
concluded  that  if  I  could  effect  unperceived  a  passage 
to  the  mountains,  I  might  easily  remain  among  them, 
supporting  myself  by  such  fruits  as  came  in  my  way 
until  the  sailing  of  the  ship,  an  event  of  which  I  could 
not  fail  to  be  immediately  apprised,  as  from  my  lofty 
position  I  should  command  a  view  of  the  entire  harbour. 

The  idea  pleased  me  greatly.  It  seemed  to  combine 
a  great  deal  of  practicability  with  no  inconsiderable  en 
joyment  in  a  quiet  way;  for  how  delightful  it  would 
be  to  look  down  upon  the  detested  old  vessel  from  the 
height  of  some  thousand  feet,  and  contrast  the  verdant 
scenery  about  me  with  the  recollection  of  her  narrow 
decks  and  gloomy  forecastle!  Why,  it  was  really  re 
freshing  even  to  think  of  it;  and  so  I  straightway  fell 
to  picturing  myself  seated  beneath  a  cocoa-nut  tree  on 
the  brow  of  the  mountain,  with  a  cluster  of  plantains 
within  easy  reach,  criticising  her  nautical  evolutions  as 
she  was  working  her  way  out  of  the  harbour. 

To  be  sure  there  was  one  rather  unpleasant  drawback 
to  these  agreeable  anticipations  —  the  possibility  of  fall 
ing  in  with  a  foraging  party  of  these  same  bloody-minded 
Typees,  whose  appetites,  edged  perhaps  by  the  air  of  so 
elevated  a  region,  might  prompt  them  to  devour  one. 
This,  I  must  confess,  was  a  most  disagreeable  view  of 
the  matter. 

Just  to  think  of  a  party  of  these  unnatural  gour 
mands  taking  it  into  their  heads  to  make  a  convivial 
meal  of  a  poor  devil  who  would  have  no  means  of  escape 
or  defence!  However,  there  was  no  help  for  it.  I  was 
willing  to  encounter  some  risks  in  order  to  accomplish 


36  TYPEE 

my  object,  and  counted  much  upon  my  ability  to  elude 
these  prowling  cannibals  amongst  the  many  coverts  which 
the  mountains  afforded.  Besides,  the  chances  were  ten 
to  one  in  my  favour  that  they  would  none  of  them  quit 
their  own  fastnesses. 

I  had  determined  not  to  communicate  my  design  of 
withdrawing  from  the  vessel  to  any  of  my  shipmates, 
and  least  of  all  to  solicit  any  one  to  accompany  me  in 
my  flight.  But  it  so  happened  one  night,  that  being 
upon  deck,  revolving  over  in  my  mind  various  plans  of 
escape,  I  perceived  one  of  the  ship's  company  leaning 
over  the  bulwarks,  apparently  plunged  in  a  profound 
reverie.  He  was  a  young  fellow  about  my  own  age,  for 
whom  I  had  all  along  entertained  a  great  regard;  and 
Toby  (such  was  the  name  by  which  he  went  among  us, 
for  his  real  name  he  would  never  tell  us)  was  every  way 
worthy  of  it.  He  was  active,  ready,  and  obliging,  of 
dauntless  courage,  and  singularly  open  and  fearless  in 
the  expression  of  his  feelings.  I  had  on  more  than  one 
occasion  got  him  out  of  scrapes  into  which  this  had  led 
him;  and  I  know  not  whether  it  was  from  this  cause, 
or  a  certain  congeniality  of  sentiment  between  us,  that 
he  had  always  shown  a  partiality  for  my  society.  We 
had  battled  out  many  a  long  watch  together,  beguiling 
the  weary  hours  with  chat,  song,  and  story,  mingled  with 
a  good  many  imprecations  upon  the  hard  destiny  it 
seemed  our  common  fortune  to  encounter. 

Toby,  like  myself,  had  evidently  moved  in  a  different 
sphere  of  life,  and  his  conversation  at  times  betrayed 
this,  although  he  was  anxious  to  conceal  it.  He  was 
one  of  that  class  or  rovers  you  sometimes  meet  at  sea, 
who  never  reveal  their  origin,  never  allude  to  home, 
and  go  rambling  over  the  world  as  if  pursued  by  some 
mysterious  fate  they  cannot  possibly  elude. 


TOBY'S    RESOLVE  37 

There  was  much  even  in  the  appearance  of  Toby 
calculated  to  draw  me  towards  him,  for  while  the 
greater  part  of  the  crew  were  as  coarse  in  person  as 
in  mind,  Toby  was  endowed  with  a  remarkably  pre 
possessing  exterior.  Arrayed  in  his  blue  frock  and  duck 
trousers,  he  was  as  smart  a  looking  sailor  as  ever  stepped 
upon  a  deck;  he  was  singularly  small  and  slightly  made, 
with  great  flexibility  of  limb.  His  naturally  dark  com 
plexion  had  been  deepened  by  exposure  to  the  tropical 
sun,  and  a  mass  of  jetty  locks  clustered  about  his 
temples  and  threw  a  darker  shade  into  his  large  black 
eyes.  He  was  a  strange  wayward  being,  moody,  fitful, 
and  melancholy  —  at  times  almost  morose.  He  had  a 
quick  and  fiery  temper  too,  which,  when  thoroughly 
roused,  transported  him  into  a  state  bordering  on  de 
lirium. 

It  is  strange  the  power  that  a  mind  of  deep  passion 
has  over  feebler  natures.  I  have  seen  a  brawny  fel 
low,  with  no  lack  of  ordinary  courage,  fairly  quail  be 
fore  this  slender  stripling  when  in  one  of  his  furious 
fits.  But  these  paroxysms  seldom  occurred,  and  in 
them  my  big-hearted  shipmate  vented  the  bile  which 
more  calm-tempered  individuals  get  rid  of  by  a  con 
tinual  pettishness  at  trivial  annoyances. 

No  one  ever  saw  Toby  laugh,  I  mean  in  the  hearty 
abandonment  of  broad-mouthed  mirth.  He  did  smile 
sometimes,  it  is  true;  and  there  was  a  good  deal  of  dry, 
sarcastic  humour  about  him,  which  told  the  more  from 
the  imperturbable  gravity  of  his  tone  and  manner. 

Latterly  I  had  observed  that  Toby's  melancholy  had 
greatly  increased,  and  I  had  frequently  seen  him  since 
our  arrival  at  the  island  gazing  wistfully  upon  the  shore, 
when  the  remainder  of  the  crew  would  be  rioting  below. 
I  was  aware  that  he  entertained  a  cordial  detestation  of 


38  TYPEE 

the  ship,  and  believed  that,  should  a  fair  chance  of 
escape  present  itself,  he  would  embrace  it  willingly.  But 
the  attempt  was  so  perilous  in  the  place  where  we  then 
lay  that  I  supposed  myself  the  only  individual  on  board 
the  ship  who  was  sufficiently  reckless  to  think  of  it.  In 
this,  however,  I  was  mistaken. 

When  I  perceived  Toby  leaning,  as  I  have  mentioned, 
against  the  bulwarks  and  buried  in  thought,  it  struck 
me  at  once  that  the  subject  of  his  meditations  might 
be  the  same  as  my  own.  And  if  it  be  so,  thought  I,  is 
he  not  the  very  one  of  all  my  shipmates  whom  I  would 
choose  for  the  partner  of  my  adventure?  and  why  should 
I  not  have  some  comrade  with  me  to  divide  its  dangers 
and  alleviate  its  hardships?  Perhaps  I  might  be  obliged 
to  lie  concealed  among  the  mountains  for  weeks.  In 
such  an  event  what  a  solace  would  a  companion  be! 

These  thoughts  passed  rapidly  through  my  mind,  and 
I  wondered  why  I  had  not  before  considered  the  matter 
in  this  light.  But  it  was  not  too  late.  A  tap  upon 
the  shoulder  served  to  rouse  Toby  from  his  reverie;  I 
found  him  ripe  for  the  enterprise,  and  a  very  few  words 
sufficed  for  a  mutual  understanding  between  us.  In  an 
hour's  time  we  had  arranged  all  the  preliminaries  and 
decided  upon  our  plan  of  action.  We  then  ratified  our 
engagement  with  an  affectionate  wedding  of  palms,  and 
to  elude  suspicion  repaired  each  to  his  hammock,  to 
spend  the  last  night  on  board  the  Dolly. 

The  next  day  the  starboard  watch,  to  which  we  both 
belonged,  was  to  be  sent  ashore  on  liberty;  and,  avail 
ing  ourselves  of  this  opportunity,  we  determined,  as 
soon  after  landing  as  possible,  to  separate  ourselves 
from  the  rest  of  the  men  without  exciting  their  suspi 
cions  and  strike  back  at  once  for  the  mountains.  Seen 
from  the  ship;  their  summits  appeared  inaccessible,  but 


TOBY'S    RESOLVE  39 

here  and  there  sloping  spurs  extended  from  them  almost 
into  the  sea,  buttressing  the  lofty  elevations  with  which 
they  were  connected  and  forming  those  radiating  val 
leys  I  have  before  described.  One  of  these  ridges,  which 
appeared  more  practicable  than  the  rest,  we  determined 
to  climb,  convinced  that  it  would  conduct  us  to  the 
heights  beyond.  Accordingly,  we  carefully  observed  its 
bearings  and  locality  from  the  ship,  so  that  when  ashore 
we  should  run  no  chance  of  missing  it. 

In  all  this  the  leading  object  we  had  in  view  was  to 
seclude  ourselves  from  sight  until  the  departure  of 
the  vessel;  then  to  take  our  chance  as  to  the  reception 
the  Nukuheva  natives  might  give  us;  and  after  remain 
ing  upon  the  island  as  long  as  we  found  our  stay  agree 
able,  to  leave  it  the  first  favourable  opportunity  that 
offered. 


CHAPTER   VI 
ESCAPE    TO    THE    MOUNTAINS 

EARLY  the  next  morning  the  starboard  watch  were 
mustered  upon  the  quarter-deck,  and  our  worthy  cap 
tain,  standing  in  the  cabin  gangway,  harangued  us  as 
follows: — 

"Now,  men,  as  we  are  just  off  a  six  months'  cruise, 
and  have  got  through  most  all  our  work  in  port  here,  I 
suppose  you  want  to  go  ashore.  Well,  I  mean  to  give 
your  watch  liberty  to-day,  so  you  may  get  ready  as  soon 
as  you  please,  and  go;  but  understand  this,  I  am  going 
to  give  you  liberty  because  I  suppose  you  would  growl 
like  so  many  quarter  gunners  if  I  didn't;  at  the  same 
time,  if  you'll  take  my  advice,  every  mother's  son  of 
you  will  stay  aboard,  and  keep  out  of  the  way  of  the 
bloody  cannibals  altogether.  Ten  to  one,  men,  if  you 
go  ashore,  you  will  get  into  some  infernal  row,  and  that 
will  be  the  end  of  you;  for  if  those  tattooed  scoundrels 
get  you  a  little  ways  back  into  their  valleys,  they'll 
nab  you  —  that  you  may  be  certain  of.  Plenty  of  white 
men  have  gone  ashore  here  and  never  been  seen  any 
more.  There  was  the  old  Dido;  she  put  in  here  about 
two  years  ago,  and  sent  one  watch  off  on  liberty;  they 
never  were  heard  of  again  for  a  week  —  the  natives 
swore  they  didn't  know  where  they  were  —  and  only 
three  of  them  ever  got  back  to  the  ship  again,  and  one 
with  his  face  damaged  for  life,  for  the  cursed  heathens 
tattooed  a  broad  patch  clean  across  his  figure-head. 

40 


ESCAPE    TO    THE    MOUNTAINS  41 

But  it  will  be  no  use  talking  to  you,  for  go  you  will, 
that  I  see  plainly;  so  all  I  have  to  say  is  that  you  need 
not  blame  me  if  the  islanders  make  a  meal  of  you.  You 
may  stand  some  chance  of  escaping  them  though  if  you 
keep  close  about  the  French  encampment  and  are  back 
to  the  ship  again  before  sunset.  Keep  that  much  in 
your  mind,  if  you  forget  all  the  rest  I've  been  saying  to 
you.  There,  go  forward;  bear  a  hand  and  rig  yourselves, 
and  stand  by  for  a  call.  At  two  bells  the  boat  will  be 
manned  to  take  you  off,  and  the  Lord  have  mercy  on 
you!" 

Various  were  the  emotions  depicted  upon  the  counte 
nances  of  the  starboard  watch  whilst  listening  to  this 
address;  but  on  its  conclusion  there  was  a  general  move 
towards  the  forecastle,  and  we  soon  were  all  busily  en 
gaged  in  getting  ready  for  the  holiday  so  auspiciously 
announced  by  the  skipper.  During  these  preparations 
his  harangue  was  commented  upon  in  no  very  measured 
terms;  and  one  of  the  party,  after  denouncing  him  as  a 
lying  old  son  of  a  sea-cook  who  begrudged  a  fellow  a 
few  hours'  liberty,  exclaimed  with  an  oath,  "But  you 
don't  bounce  me  out  of  my  liberty,  old  chap,  for  all 
your  yarns;  for  I  would  go  ashore  if  every  pebble  on 
the  beach  was  a  live  coal,  and  every  stick  a  gridiron, 
and  the  cannibals  stood  ready  to  broil  me  on  landing." 

The  spirit  of  this  sentiment  was  responded  to  by  all 
hands,  and  we  resolved  that  in  spite  of  the  captain's 
croakings  we  would  make  a  glorious  day  of  it. 

But  Toby  and  I  had  our  own  game  to  play,  and  we 
availed  ourselves  of  the  confusion  which  always  reigns 
among  a  ship's  company  preparatory  to  going  ashore  to 
confer  together  and  complete  our  arrangements.  As 
our  object  was  to  effect  as  rapid  a  flight  as  possible  to 
the  mountains,  we  determined  not  to  encumber  ourselves 


42  TYPEE 

with  any  superfluous  apparel;  and  accordingly,  while 
the  rest  were  rigging  themselves  out  with  some  idea  of 
making  a  display,  we  were  content  to  put  on  new  stout 
duck  trousers,  serviceable  pumps,  and  heavy  Havre- 
frocks,  which  with  a  Payta  hat  completed  our  equip 
ment. 

When  our  shipmates  wondered  at  this,  Toby  exclaimed 
in  his  odd,  grave  way  that  the  rest  might  do  as  they 
liked,  but  that  he  for  one  preserved  his  go-ashore  traps 
for  the  Spanish  Main,  where  the  tie  of  a  sailor's  necker 
chief  might  make  some  difference;  but  as  for  a  parcel 
of  unbreeched  heathen,  he  wouldn't  go  to  the  bottom  of 
his  chest  for  any  of  them  and  was  half  disposed  to 
appear  among  them  in  buff  himself.  The  men  laughed 
at  what  they  thought  was  one  of  his  strange  conceits, 
and  so  we  escaped  suspicion. 

It  may  appear  singular  that  we  should  have  been  thus 
on  our  guard  with  our  own  shipmates;  but  there  were 
some  among  us  who,  had  they  possessed  the  least  ink 
ling  of  our  project,  would,  for  a  paltry  hope  of  reward, 
have  immediately  communicated  it  to  the  captain. 

As  soon  as  two  bells  were  struck,  the  word  was  passed 
for  the  liberty-men  to  get  into  the  boat.  I  lingered 
behind  in  the  forecastle  a  moment,  to  take  a  parting 
glance  at  its  familiar  features,  and  just  as  I  was  about 
to  ascend  to  the  deck,  my  eye  happened  to  light  on  the 
bread-barge  and  beef-kid,  which  contained  the  remnants 
of  our  last  hearty  meal.  Although  I  had  never  before 
thought  of  providing  anything  in  the  way  of  food  for 
our  expedition,  as  I  fully  relied  upon  the  fruits  of  the 
island  to  sustain  us  wherever  we  might  wander,  yet  I 
could  not  resist  the  inclination  I  felt  to  provide  luncheon 
from  the  relics  before  me.  Accordingly  I  took  a  double 
handful  of  those  small,  broken,  flinty  bits  of  biscuit, 


ESCAPE    TO    THE    MOUNTAINS  43 

which  generally  go  by  the  name  of  "midshipman's  nuts," 
and  thrust  them  into  the  bosom  of  my  frock,  in  which 
same  ample  receptacle  I  had  previously  stowed  away 
several  pounds  of  tobacco  and  a  few  yards  of  cotton 
cloth  —  articles  with  which  I  intended  to  purchase  the 
good-will  of  the  natives,  as  soon  as  we  should  appear 
among  them  after  the  departure  of  our  vessel. 

This  last  addition  to  my  stock  caused  a  considerable 
protuberance  in  front,  which  I  abated  in  a  measure  by 
shaking  the  bits  of  bread  around  my  waist  and  distrib 
uting  the  plugs  of  tobacco  among  the  folds  of  the  gar 
ment. 

Hardly  had  I  completed  these  arrangements  when  my 
name  was  sung  out  by  a  dozen  voices,  and  I  sprung 
upon  the  deck,  where  I  found  all  the  party  in  the  boat, 
and  impatient  to  shove  off.  I  dropped  over  the  side  and 
seated  myself  with  the  rest  of  the  watch  in  the  stern 
sheets,  while  the  poor  larboarders  shipped  their  oars  and 
commenced  pulling  us  ashore. 

This  happened  to  be  the  rainy  season  at  the  islands, 
and  the  heavens  had  nearly  the  whole  morning  beto 
kened  one  of  those  heavy  showers  which  during  this 
period  so  frequently  occur.  The  large  drops  fell  bub 
bling  into  the  water  shortly  after  our  leaving  the  ship, 
and  by  the  time  we  had  effected  a  landing  it  poured 
down  in  torrents.  We  fled  for  shelter  under  cover  of 
an  immense  canoe-house  which  stood  hard  by  the  beach, 
and  waited  for  the  first  fury  of  the  storm  to  pass. 

It  continued,  however,  without  cessation;  and  the 
monotonous  beating  of  the  rain  over  head  began  to  exert 
a  drowsy  influence  upon  the  men,  who,  throwing  them 
selves  here  and  there  upon  the  large  war-canoes,  after 
chatting  awhile,  all  fell  asleep. 

This  was  the  opportunity  we  desired,  and  Toby  and 


44  TYPEE 

I  availed  ourselves  of  it  at  once  by  stealing  out  of  the 
canoe-house  and  plunging  into  the  depths  of  an  ex 
tensive  grove  that  was  in  its  rear.  After  ten  minutes' 
rapid  progress  we  gained  an  open  space  from  which  we 
could  just  descry  the  ridge  we  intended  to  mount  loom 
ing  dimly  through  the  mists  of  the  tropical  shower, 
and  distant  from  us,  as  we  estimated,  something  more 
than  a  mile.  Our  direct  course  towards  it  lay  through 
a  rather  populous  part  of  the  bay;  but  desirous  as  we 
were  of  evading  the  natives  and  securing  an  unmolested 
retreat  to  the  mountains,  we  determined,  by  taking  a 
circuit  through  some  extensive  thickets,  to  avoid  their 
vicinity  altogether. 

The  heavy  rain  that  still  continued  to  fall  without 
intermission  favoured  our  enterprise,  as  it  drove  the 
islanders  into  their  houses  and  prevented  any  casual 
meeting  with  them.  Our  heavy  frocks  soon  became 
completely  saturated  with  water,  and  by  their  weight 
and  that  of  the  articles  we  had  concealed  beneath  them, 
not  a  little  impeded  our  progress.  But  it  was  no  time 
to  pause  when  at  any  moment  we  might  be  surprised 
by  a  body  of  the  savages  and  forced  at  the  very  outset 
to  relinquish  our  undertaking. 

Since  leaving  the  canoe-house  we  had  scarcely  ex 
changed  a  single  syllable  with  one  another;  but  when 
we  entered  a  second  narrow  opening  in  the  wood,  and 
again  caught  sight  of  the  ridge  before  us,  I  took  Toby 
by  the  arm,  and  pointing  along  its  sloping  outline  to 
the  lofty  heights  at  its  extremity,  said  in  a  low  tone, 
"Now,  Toby,  not  a  word,  nor  a  glance  backward,  till 
we  stand  on  the  summit  of  yonder  mountain  —  so  no 
more  lingering,  but  let  us  shove  ahead  while  we  can, 
and  in  a  few  hours'  time  we  may  laugh  aloud.  You 
are  the  lightest  and  the  nimblest,  so  lead  on?  and  I  will 
follow." 


ESCAPE   TO   THE   MOUNTAINS  45 

"All  right,  brother,"  said  Toby,  "quick's  our  play; 
only  let's  keep  close  together,  that's  all;"  and  so  say 
ing,  with  a  bound  like  a  young  roe,  he  cleared  a  brook 
which  ran  across  our  path  and  rushed  forward  with  a 
quick  step. 

When  we  arrived  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
ridge,  we  were  stopped  by  a  mass  of  tall  yellow  reeds, 
growing  together  as  thickly  as  they  could  stand,  and  as 
tough  and  stubborn  as  so  many  rods  of  steel;  and  we 
perceived,  to  our  chagrin,  that  they  extended  midway 
up  the  elevation  we  purposed  to  ascend. 

For  a  moment  we  gazed  about  us  in  quest  of  a  more 
practicable  route;  it  was,  however,  at  once  apparent 
that  there  was  no  resource  but  to  pierce  this  thicket  of 
canes  at  all  hazards.  We  now  reversed  our  order  of 
march,  I,  being  the  heaviest,  taking  the  lead,  with  a 
view  of  breaking  a  path  through  the  obstruction,  while 
Toby  fell  into  the  rear. 

Two  or  three  times  I  endeavoured  to  insinuate  myself 
between  the  canes,  and  by  dint  of  coaxing  and  bending 
them  to  make  some  progress;  but  a  bull-frog  might  as 
well  have  tried  to  work  a  passage  through  the  teeth 
of  a  comb,  and  I  gave  up  the  attempt  in  despair. 

Half  wild  with  meeting  an  obstacle  we  had  so  little 
anticipated,  I .  threw  myself  desperately  against  it, 
crushing  to  the  ground  the  canes  with  which  I  came 
in  contact;  and,  rising  to  my  feet  again,  repeated  the 
action  with  like  effect.  Twenty  minutes  of  this  violent 
exercise  almost  exhausted  me,  but  it  carried  us  some 
way  into  the  thicket;  when  Toby,  who  had  been  reap 
ing  the  benefit  of  my  labours  by  following  close  at 
my  heels,  proposed  to  become  pioneer  in  turn,  and  ac 
cordingly  passed  ahead  with  a  view  of  affording  me  a 
respite  from  my  exertions.  As,  however,  with  his  slight 


46  TYPEE 

frame  he  made  but  bad  work  of  it;  I  was  soon  obliged 
to  resume  my  old  place  again. 

On  we  toiled,  the  perspiration  starting  from  our 
bodies  in  floods,  our  limbs  torn  and  lacerated  with  the 
splintered  fragments  of  the  broken  canes,  until  we  had 
proceeded  perhaps  as  far  as  the  middle  of  the  brake, 
when  suddenly  it  ceased  raining,  and  the  atmosphere 
around  us  became  close  and  sultry  beyond  expression. 
Thrf  elasticity  of  the  reeds,  quickly  recovering  from 
the  temporary  pressure  of  our  bodies,  caused  them  to 
spring  back  to  their  original  position  so  that  they  closed 
in  upon  us  as  we  advanced  and  prevented  the  circula 
tion  of  the  little  air  which  might  otherwise  have  reached 
us.  Besides  this,  their  great  height  completely  shut 
us  out  from  the  view  of  surrounding  objects,  and  we 
were  not  certain  but  that  we  might  have  been  going 
all  the  time  in  a  wrong  direction. 

Fatigued  with  my  long-continued  efforts,  and  panting 
for  breath,  I  felt  myself  completely  incapacitated  for  any 
further  exertion.  I  rolled  up  the  sleeve  of  my  frock 
and  squeezed  the  moisture  it  contained  into  my  parched 
mouth.  But  the  few  drops  I  managed  to  obtain  gave 
me  little  relief,  and  I  sunk  down  for  a  moment  with  a 
sort  of  dogged  apathy,  from  which  I  was  aroused  by 
Toby,  who  had  devised  a  plan  to  free  us  from  the  net 
in  which  we  had  become  entangled. 

He  was  laying  about  him  lustily  with  his  sheath-knife, 
lopping  the  canes  right  and  left,  like  a  reaper,  and  soon 
made  quite  a  clearing  around  us.  This  sight  reani 
mated  me,  and  seizing  my  own  knife,  I  hacked  and 
hewed  away  without  mercy.  But  alas!  the  farther  we 
advanced,  the  thicker  and  taller,  and  apparently  the 
more  interminable,  the  reeds  became. 

I  began  to  think  we  were  fairly  snared,  and  had  al- 


ESCAPE   TO    THE    MOUNTAINS  47 

most  made  up  my  mind  that  without  a  pair  of  wings  we 
should  never  be  able  to  escape  from  the  toils,  when  all 
at  once  I  discerned  a  peep  of  daylight  through  the  canes 
on  my  right,  and,  communicating  the  joyful  tidings  to 
Toby,  we  both  fell  to  with  fresh  spirit,  and  speedily 
opening  a  passage  towards  it,  we  found  ourselves  clear 
of  perplexities  and  in  the  near  vicinity  of  the  ridge. 

After  resting  for  a  few  moments  we  began  the  ascent, 
and  after  a  little  vigorous  climbing  found  ourselves 
close  to  its  summit.  Instead,  however,  of  walking  along 
its  ridge,  where  we  should  have  been  in  full  view  of  the 
natives  in  the  vales  beneath  and  at  a  point  where  they 
could  easily  intercept  us  were  they  so  inclined,  we  cau 
tiously  advanced  on  one  side,  crawling  on  our  hands 
and  knees,  and  screened  from  observation  by  the  grass 
through  which  we  glided,  much  in  the  fashion  of  a 
couple  of  serpents.  After  an  hour  employed  in  this  un 
pleasant  kind  of  locomotion,  we  started  to  our  feet  again 
and  pursued  our  way  boldly  along  the  crest  of  the  ridge. 

This  salient  spur  of  the  lofty  elevations  that  encom 
passed  the  bay  rose  with  a  sharp  angle  from  the  valleys 
at  its  base,  and  presented,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
steep  acclivities,  the  appearance  of  a  vast  inclined  plane, 
sweeping  down  towards  the  sea  from  the  heights  in  the 
distance.  We  had  ascended  it  near  the  place  of  its  ter 
mination  and  at  its  lowest  point,  and  now  saw  our  route 
to  the  mountains  distinctly  denned  along  its  narrow 
crest,  which  was  covered  with  a  soft  carpet  of  verdure 
and  was  in  many  parts  only  a  few  feet  wide. 

Elated  with  the  success  which  had  so  far  attended 
our  enterprise,  and  invigorated  by  the  refreshing  atmos 
phere  we  now  inhaled,  Toby  and  I  in  high  spirits  were 
making  our  way  rapidly  along  the  ridge,  when  suddenly 
from  the  valleys  below  which  lay  on  either  side  of  us, 


48  TYPEE 

we  heard  the  distant  shouts  of  the  natives,  who  had 
just  descried  us,  and  to  whom  our  figures,  brought  in 
bold  relief  against  the  sky,  were  plainly  revealed. 

Glancing  our  eyes  into  these  valleys,  we  perceived 
their  savage  inhabitants  hurrying  to  and  fro,  seemingly 
under  the  influence  of  some  sudden  alarm,  and  appear 
ing  to  the  eye  scarcely  bigger  than  so  many  pigmies; 
while  their  white  thatched  dwellings,  dwarfed  by  the 
distance,  looked  like  baby-houses.  As  we  looked  down 
upon  the  islanders  from  our  lofty  elevation,  we  experi 
enced  a  sense  of  security,  feeling  confident  that,  should 
they  undertake  a  pursuit,  it  would,  from  the  start  we 
now  had,  prove  entirely  fruitless,  unless  they  followed 
us  into  the  mountains,  where  we  knew  they  cared  not 
to  venture. 

However,  we  thought  it  as  well  to  make  the  most  of 
our  time;  and  accordingly,  where  the  ground  would  ad 
mit  of  it,  we  ran  swiftly  along  the  summit  of  the  ridge, 
until  we  were  brought  to  a  stand  by  a  steep  cliff,  which 
at  first  seemed  to  interpose  an  effectual  barrier  to  our 
further  advance.  By  dint  of  much  hard  scrambling, 
however,  and  at  some  risk  to  our  necks,  we  at  last  sur 
mounted  it,  and  continued  our  flight  with  unabated 
celerity. 

We  had  left  the  beach  early  in  the  morning,  and  after 
an  uninterrupted,  though  at  times  difficult  and  dangerous 
ascent,  during  which  we  had  never  once  turned  our  faces 
to  the  sea,  we  found  ourselves,  about  three  hours  before 
sunset,  standing  on  the  top  of  what  seemed  to  be  the 
highest  land  on  the  island,  an  immense  overhanging  cliff, 
composed  of  basaltic  rocks,  hung  round  with  parasitical 
plants.  We  must  have  been  more  than  three  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  the  scenery  viewed 
from  this  height  was  magnificent. 


ESCAPE    TO    THE    MOUNTAINS  49 

The  lonely  bay  of  Nukuheva,  dotted  here  and  there 
with  the  black  hulls  of  the  vessels  composing  the  French 
squadron,  lay  reposing  at  the  base  of  a  circular  range  of 
elevations,  whose  verdant  sides,  perforated  with  deep 
glens  or  diversified  with  smiling  valleys,  formed  alto 
gether  the  loveliest  view  I  ever  beheld,  and  were  I  to 
live  a  hundred  years,  I  should  never  forget  the  feeling 
of  admiration  which  I  then  experienced. 


CHAPTER  VII 
THE    OTHER    SIDE    OF    THE    MOUNTAINS 

MY  curiosity  had  been  not  a  little  raised  with  regard 
to  the  description  of  country  we  should  meet  on  the 
other  side  of  the  mountains;  and  I  had  supposed,  with 
Toby,  that  immediately  on  gaining  the  heights  we  should 
be  enabled  to  view  the  large  bays  of  Happar  and  Typee 
reposing  at  our  feet  on  one  side,  in  the  same  way  that 
Nukuheva  lay  spread  out  below  on  the  other.  But 
here  we  were  disappointed.  Instead  of  finding  the  moun 
tain  we  had  ascended  sweeping  down  in  the  opposite 
direction  into  broad  and  capacious  valleys,  the  land 
appeared  to  retain  its  general  elevation,  only  broken  in 
to  a  series  of  ridges  and  intervales,  which  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  reach  stretched  away  from  us,  with  their  pre 
cipitous  sides  covered  with  the  brightest  verdure,  and 
waving  here  and  there  with  the  foliage  of  clumps  of 
woodland  —  among  which,  however,  we  perceived  none 
of  those  trees  upon  whose  fruit  we  had  relied  with  such 
certainty. 

This  was  a  most  unlooked-for  discovery,  and  one  that 
promised  to  defeat  our  plans  altogether,  for  we  could 
not  think  of  descending  the  mountain  on  the  Nukuheva 
side  in  quest  of  food.  Should  we  for  this  purpose  be  in 
duced  to  retrace  our  steps,  we  should  run  no  small 
chance  of  encountering  the  natives,  who  in  that  case,  if 
they  did  nothing  worse  to  us,  would  be  certain  to  con 
vey  us  back  to  the  ship  for  the  sake  of  the  reward  in 

50 


OTHER    SIDE    OF    THE    MOUNTAINS         51 

calico  and  trinkets  which  we  had  no  doubt  our  skipper 
would  hold  out  to  them  as  an  inducement  to  our  capture. 

What  was  to  be  done?  The  Dolly  would  not  sail 
perhaps  for  ten  days,  and  how  were  we  to  sustain  life 
during  this  period?  I  bitterly  repented  our  improvi 
dence  in  not  providing  ourselves,  as  we  easily  might 
have  done,  with  a  supply  of  biscuit.  With  a  rueful  vis 
age  I  now  bethought  me  of  the  scanty  handfulvof  bread 
I  had  stuffed  into  the  bosom  of  my  frock,  and  felt  some 
what  desirous  to  ascertain  what  part  if  it  had  weathered 
the  rather  rough  usage  it  had  experienced  in  ascending 
the  mountain.  I  accordingly  proposed  to  Toby  that  we 
should  enter  into  a  joint  examination  of  the  various  ar 
ticles  we  had  brought  from  the  ship.  With  this  intent 
we  seated  ourselves  upon  the  grass;  and  a  little  curious 
to  see  with  what  kind  of  judgment  my  companion  had 
filled  his  frock  —  which  I  remarked  seemed  about  as 
well  lined  as  my  own  —  I  requested  him  to  commence 
operations  by  spreading  out  its  contents. 

Thrusting  his  hand,  then,  into  the  bosom  of  this  capa 
cious  receptacle,  he  first  brought  to  light  a  pound 
of  tobacco,  whose  component  parts  still  adhered  together, 
the  whole  outside  being  covered  with  soft  particles  of 
sea-bread.  Wet  and  dripping,  it  had  the  appearance  of 
having  been  just  recovered  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea. 
But  I  paid  slight  attention  to  a  substance  of  so  little 
value  to  us  in  our  present  situation,  as  soon  as  I  per 
ceived  the  indications  it  gave  of  Toby's  foresight  in  lay 
ing  in  a  supply  of  food  for  the  expedition. 

I  eagerly  inquired  what  quantity  he  had  brought  with 
him,  when,  rummaging  once  more  beneath  his  garment, 
he  produced  a  small  handful  of  something  so  soft,  pulpy, 
and  discoloured  that  for  a  few  moments  he  was  as  much 
puzzled  as  myself  to  tell  by  what  possible  instrumen- 


52  TYPEE 

tality  such  a  villainous  compound  had  become  engen 
dered  in  his  bosom.  I  can  only  describe  it  as  a  hash  of 
soaked  bread  and  bits  of  tobacco,  brought  to  a  doughy 
consistency  by  the  united  agency  of  perspiration  and 
rain.  But  repulsive  as  it  might  otherwise  have  been,  I 
now  regarded  it  as  an  invaluable  treasure,  and  proceeded 
with  great  care  to  transfer  this  paste-like  mass  to  a  large 
leaf  which  I  had  plucked  from  a  bush  beside  me.  Toby 
informed  me  that  in  the  morning  he  had  placed  two 
whole  biscuits  in  his  bosom,  with  a  view  of  munching 
them,  should  he  feel  so  inclined,  during  our  flight.  These 
were  now  reduced  to  the  equivocal  substance  which  I 
had  just  placed  on  the  leaf. 

Another  dive  into  the  frock  brought  to  view  some  four 
or  five  yards  of  calico  print,  whose  tasteful  pattern  was 
rather  disfigured  by  the  yellow  stains  of  the  tobacco 
with  which  it  had  been  brought  in  contact.  In  drawing 
this  calico  slowly  from  his  bosom  inch  by  inch,  Toby 
reminded  me  of  a  juggler  performing  the  feat  of  the 
endless  ribbon.  The  next  cast  was  a  small  one,  being  a 
sailor's  little  "ditty-bag,"  containing  needles,  thread, 
and  other  sewing  utensils;  then  came  a  razor-case,  fol 
lowed  by  two  or  three  separate  plugs  of  negro-head,  which 
were  fished  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  now  empty  recep 
tacle.  These  various  matters  being  inspected,  I  pro 
duced  the  few  things  that  I  had  myself  brought. 

As  might  have  been  anticipated  from  the  state  of  my 
companion's  edible  supplies,  I  found  my  own  in  a  de 
plorable  condition,  and  diminished  to  a  quantity  that 
would  not  have  formed  half  a  dozen  mouthfuls  for  a 
hungry  man  who  was  partial  enough  to  tobacco  not 
to  mind  swallowing  it.  A  few  morsels  of  bread,  with  a 
fathom  or  two  of  white  cotton  cloth,  and  several  pounds 
of  choice  pigtail,  composed  the  extent  of  my  possessions. 


OTHER    SIDE    OF    THE    MOUNTAINS         53 

Our  joint  stock  of  miscellaneous  articles  was  now 
made  up  into  a  compact  bundle,  which  it  was  agreed  we 
should  carry  alternately.  .But  the  sorry  remains  of  the 
biscuit  were  not  to  be  disposed  of  so  summarily ;  the 
precarious  circumstances  in  which  we  were  placed  made 
us  regard  them  as  something  on  which  very  probably 
depended  the  fate  of  our  adventure.  After  a  brief  dis 
cussion,  in  which  we  both  of  us  expressed  our  resold 
tion  of  not  descending  into  the  bay  until  the  ship's 
departure,  I  suggested  to  my  companion  that  little  of  it 
as  there  was,  we  should  divide  the  bread  into  six  equal 
portions,  each  of  which  should  be  a  day's  allowance  for 
both  of  us.  This  proposition  he  assented  to;  so  I  took 
the  silk  kerchief  from  my  neck,  and  cutting  it  with  my 
knife  into  half  a  dozen  equal  pieces,  proceeded  to  make 
an  exact  division. 

At  first,  Toby,  with  a  degree  of  fastidiousness  that 
seemed  to  me  ill-timed,  was  for  picking  out  the  minute 
particles  of  tobacco  with  which  the  spongy  mass  was 
mixed;  but  against  this  proceeding  I  protested,  as  by 
such  an  operation  we  must  have  greatly  diminished  its 
quantity. 

When  the  division  was  accomplished,  we  found  that 
a  day's  allowance  for  the  two  was  not  a  great  deal  more 
than  what  a  table-spoon  might  hold.  Each  separate  por 
tion  we  immediately  rolled  up  in  the  bit  of  silk  pre 
pared  for  it,  and  joining  them  all  together  into  a  small 
package,  I  committed  them,  with  solemn  injunctions  of 
fidelity,  to  the  custody  of  Toby.  For  the  remainder  of 
that  day  we  resolved  to  fast,  as  we  had  been  fortified  by 
a  breakfast  in  the  morning;  and  now  starting  again  to 
our  feet,  we  looked  about  us  for  a  shelter  during  the 
night,  which,  from  the  appearance  of  the  heavens,  prom 
ised  to  be  a  dark  and  tempestuous  one. 


54  TYPEE 

There  was  no  place  near  us  which  would  in  any  way 
answer  our  purpose;  so  turning  our  backs  upon  Nuku- 
heva,  we  commenced  exploring  the  unknown  regions 
which  lay  upon  the  other  side  of  the  mountain. 

In  this  direction,  as  far  as  our  vision  extended,  not  a 
sign  of  life,  nor  anything  that  denoted  even  the  transient 
residence  of  man,  could  be  seen.  The  whole  landscape 
seemed  one  unbroken  solitude,  the  interior  of  the  island 
having  apparently  been  untenanted  since  the  morning 
of  the  creation;  and  as  we  advanced  through  this  wil 
derness,  our  voices  sounded  strangely  in  our  ears,  as 
though  human  accents  had  never  before  disturbed  the 
fearful  silence  of  the  place,  interrupted  only  by  the  low 
murmurings  of  distant  waterfalls. 

Our  disappointment,  however,  in  not  finding  the  va 
rious  fruits  with  which  we  had  intended  to  regale  our 
selves  during  our  stay  in  these  wilds  was  a  good  deal 
lessened  by  the  consideration  that  from  this  very  cir 
cumstance  we  should  be  much  less  exposed  to  a  casual 
meeting  with  the  savage  tribes  about  us,  who  we  knew 
always  dwelt  beneath  the  shadows  of  those  trees  which 
supplied  them  with  food. 

We  wandered  along,  casting  eager  glances  into  every 
bush  we  passed,  until  just  as  we  had  succeeded  in  mount 
ing  one  of  the  many  ridges  that  intersected  the  ground, 
I  saw  in  the  grass  before  me  something  like  an  indistinctly 
traced  footpath,  which  appeared  to  lead  along  the  top  of 
the  ridge,  and  to  descend  with  it  into  a  deep  ravine 
about  half  a  mile  in  advance  of  us. 

Robinson  Crusoe  could  not  have  been  more  startled 
at  the  footprint  in  the  sand  than  we  were  at  this  unwel 
come  discovery.  My  'first  impulse  was  to  make  as  rapid 
a  retreat  as  possible  and  bend  our  steps  in  some  other 
direction;  but  our  curiosity  to  see  whither  this  path 


OTHER    SIDE    OF    THE    MOUNTAINS         55 

might  lead  prompted  us  to  pursue  it.  So  on  we  went, 
the  track  becoming  more  and  more  visible  the  farther 
we  proceeded,  until  it  conducted  us  to  the  verge  of  the 
ravine,  where  it  abruptly  terminated. 

"And  so,"  said  Toby,  peering  down  into  the  chasm, 
"every  one  that  travels  this  path  takes  a  jump  here, 
eh?" 

"Not  so,"  said  I,  "for  I  think  they  might  manage  to 
descend  without  it;  what  say  you  —  shall  we  attempt 
the  feat?" 

"And  what,  in  the  name  of  caves  and  coal-holes,  do 
you  expect  to  find  at  the  bottom  of  that  gulf  but  a 
broken  neck?  Why,  it  looks  blacker  than  our  ship's 
hold,  and  the  roar  of  those  waterfalls  down  there  would 
batter  one's  brains  to  pieces." 

"Oh,  no,  Toby,"  I  exclaimed,  laughing;  "but  there's 
something  to  be  seen  here,  that's  plain,  or  there  would 
have  been  no  path,  and  I  am  resolved  to  find  out  what 
it  is." 

"I  will  tell  you  what,  my  pleasant  fellow,"  rejoined 
Toby  quickly,  "if  you  are  going  to  pry  into  everything 
you  meet  with  here  that  excites  your  curiosity,  you  will 
marvellously  soon  get  knocked  on  the  head;  to  a  dead 
certainty  you  will  come  bang  upon  a  party  of  these  sav 
ages  in  the  midst  of  your  discovery-makings,  and  I  doubt 
whether  such  an  event  would  particularly  delight  you. 
Just  take  my  advice  for  once,  and  let  us  'bout  ship  and 
steer  in  some  other  direction;  besides,  it's  getting  late, 
and  we  ought  to  be  mooring  ourselves  for  the  night." 

"That  is  just  the  thing  I  have  been  driving  at,"  re 
plied  I;  "and  I  am  thinking  that  this  ravine  will  exactly 
answer  our  purpose,  for  it  is  roomy,  secluded,  well 
watered,  and  may  shelter  us  from  the  weather." 

"Aye,  and  from  sleep  too,  and  by  the  same  token  will 


56  TYPEE 

give  us  sore  throats  and  rheumatisms  into  the  bargain/' 
cried  Toby  with  evident  dislike  at  the  idea. 

"Oh,  very  well  then,  my  lad,"  said  I,  "since  you  will 
not  accompany  me,  here  I  go  alone.  You  will  see  me 
in  the  morning;"  and  advancing  to  the  edge  of  the  cliff 
upon  which  we  had  been  standing,  I  proceeded  to  lower 
myself  down  by  the  tangled  roots  which  clustered  about 
all  the  crevices  of  the  rock.  As  I  had  anticipated,  Toby, 
in  spite  of  his  previous  remonstrances,  followed  my  ex 
ample,  and  dropping  himself  with  the  activity  of  a  squir 
rel  from  point  to  point,  he  quickly  outstripped  me,  and 
effected  a  landing  at  the  bottom  before  I  had  accom 
plished  two-thirds  of  the  descent. 

The  sight  that  now  greeted  us  was  one  that  will  ever 
be  vividly  impressed  upon  my  mind.  Five  foaming 
streams,  rushing  through  as  many  gorges,  and  swelled 
and  turbid  by  the  recent  rains,  united  together  in  one 
mad  plunge  of  nearly  eighty  feet,  and  fell  with  wild 
uproar  into  a  deep  black  pool  scooped  out  of  the  gloomy- 
looking  rocks  that  lay  piled  around,  and  thence  in  one 
collected  body  dashed  down  a  narrow  sloping  channel 
which  seemed  to  penetrate  into  the  very  bowels  of  the 
earth.  Overhead,  vast  roots  of  trees  hung  down  from 
the  sides  of  the  ravine  dripping  with  moisture,  and  trem 
bling  with  the  concussions  produced  by  the  fall.  It  was 
now  sunset,  and  the  feeble  uncertain  light  that  found 
its  way  into  these  caverns  and  woody  depths  heightened 
their  strange  appearance,  and  reminded  us  that  in  a 
short  time  we  should  find  ourselves  in  utter  darkness. 

As  soon  as  I  had  satisfied  my  curiosity  by  gazing  at 
this  scene,  I  fell  to  wondering  how  it  was  that  what  we 
had  taken  for  a  path  should  have  conducted  us  to  so 
singular  a  place,  and  began  to  suspect  that  after  all  I 
might  have  been  deceived  in  supposing  it  to  have  been 


OTHER    SIDE    OF    THE    MOUNTAINS         57 

a  track  formed  by  the  islanders.  This  was  rather  an 
agreeable  reflection  than  otherwise,  for  it  diminished 
our  dread  of  accidentally  meeting  with  any  of  them,  and 
;I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  perhaps  we  could  not  have 
selected  a  more  secure  hiding-place  than  this  very  spot 
we  had  so  accidentally  hit  upon.  Toby  agreed  with  me 
:in  this  view  of  the  matter,  and  we  immediately  began 
gathering  together  the  limbs  of  trees  which  lay  scattered 
about,  with  the  view  of  constructing  a  temporary  hut 
'for  the  night.  This  we  were  obliged  to  build  close  to 
i  the  foot  of  the  cataract,  for  the  current  of  water  ex 
tended  very  nearly  to  the  sides  of  the  gorge.  The  few 
moments  of  light  that  remained  we  employed  in  cover 
ing  our  hut  with  a  species  of  broad-bladed  grass  that 
grew  in  every  fissure  of  the  ravine.  Our  hut,  if  it  de 
served  to  be  called  one,  consisted  of  six  or  eight  of  the 
straightest  branches  we  could  find  laid  obliquely  against 
ithe  steep  wall  of  rock,  with  their  lower  ends  within  a 
foot  of  the  stream.  Into  the  space  thus  covered  over 
we  managed  to  crawl,  and  dispose  our  wearied  bodies  as 
best  we  could. 

Shall  I  ever  forget  that  horrid  night?  As  for  poor 
Toby,  I  could  scarcely  get  a  word  out  of  him.  It  would 
have  been  some  consolation  to  have  heard  his  voice,  but 
he  lay  shivering  the  livelong  night  like  a  man  afflicted 
with  the  palsy,  with  his  knees  drawn  up  to  his  head, 
while  his  back  was  supported  against  the  dripping  side 
of  the  rock.  During  this  wretched  night  there  seemed 
nothing  wanting  to  complete  the  perfect  misery  of  our 
condition.  The  rain  descended  in  such  torrents  that  our 
poor  shelter  proved  a  mere  mockery.  In  vain  did  I  try 
to  elude  the  incessant  streams  that  poured  upon  me; 
by  protecting  one  part  I  only  exposed  another,  and 
the  water  was  continually  finding  some  new  opening 
through  which  to  drench  us. 


58  TYPEE 

I  have  had  many  a  ducking  in  the  course  of  my  life, 
and  in  general  care  little  about  it;  but  the  accumulated 
horrors  of  that  night,  the  deathlike  coldness  of  the  place, 
the  appalling  darkness,  and  the  dismal  sense  of  our  for 
lorn  condition  almost  unmanned  me. 

It  will  not  be  doubted  that  the  next  morning  we  were 
early  risers,  and  as  soon  as  I  could  catch  the  faintest 
glimpse  of  anything  like  daylight  I  shook  my  compan 
ion  by  the  arm,  and  told  him  it  was  sunrise.  Poor  Toby 
lifted  up  his  head,  and  after  a  moment's  pause  said,  in  a 
husky  voice,  "Then,  shipmate,  my  toplights  have  gone 
out,  for  it  appears  darker  now  with  my  eyes  open  than 
it  did  when  they  were  shut." 

"Nonsense!"  exclaimed  I;  "you  are  not  awake  yet/' 

"Awake!"  roared  Toby  in  a  rage,  "awake!  You 
mean  to  insinuate  I've  been  asleep,  do  you?  It  is  an 
insult  to  a  man  to  suppose  he  could  sleep  in  such  an  in 
fernal  place  as  this." 

By  the  time  I  had  apologized  to  my  friend  for  having 
misconstrued  his  silence,  it  had  become  somewhat  more 
light,  and  we  crawled  out  of  our  lair.  The  rain  had 
ceased,  but  everything  around  us  was  dripping  with 
moisture.  We  stripped  off  our  saturated  garments,  and 
wrung  them  as  dry  as  we  could.  We  contrived  to  make 
the  blood  circulate  in  our  benumbed  limbs  by  rubbing 
them  vigorously  with  our  hands;  and  after  performing 
our  ablutions  in  the  stream,  and  putting  on  our  still  wet 
clothes,  we  began  to  think  it  advisable  to  break  our  long 
fast,  it  being  now  twenty-four  hours  since  we  had  tasted 
food. 

Accordingly  our  day's  ration  was  brought  out,  and 
seating  ourselves  on  a  detached  fragment  of  rock,  we 
proceeded  to  discuss  it.  First  we  divided  it  into  two 
equal  portions,  and  carefully  rolling  one  of  them  up  for 


OTHER    SIDE    OF    THE    MOUNTAINS         59 

our  evening's  repast,  divided  the  remainder  again  as 
equally  as  possible,  and  then  drew  lots  for  the  first 
choice.  I  could  have  placed  the  morsel  that  fell  to  my 
share  upon  the  tip  of  my  finger;  but  notwithstanding 
this  I  took  care  that  it  should  be  full  ten  minutes  before 
I  had  swallowed  the  last  crumb.  What  a  true  saying 
it  is  that  "appetite  furnishes  the  best  sauce."  There  was 
a  flavour  and  a  relish  to  this  small  particle  of  food  that 
under  other  circumstances  it  would  have  been  impossible 
for  the  most  delicate  viands  to  have  imparted.  A  copious 
draught  of  the  pure  water  which  flowed  at  our  feet 
served  to  complete  the  meal,  and  after  it  we  rose  sen 
sibly  refreshed,  and  prepared  for  whatever  might  be 
fall  us. 

We  now  carefully  examined  the  chasm  in  which  we 
had  passed  the  night.  We  crossed  the  stream,  and 
gaining  the  further  side  of  the  pool  I  have  mentioned, 
discovered  proofs  that  the  spot  must  have  been  visited 
by  some  one  but  a  short  time  previous  to  our  arrival. 
Further  observation  convinced  us  that  it  had  been 
regularly  frequented,  and,  as  we  afterwards  conjectured 
from  particular  indications,  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
a  certain  root  from  which  the  natives  obtain  a  kind  of 
ointment. 

These  discoveries  immediately  determined  us  to  aban 
don  a  place  which  had  presented  no  inducement  for  us 
to  remain  except  the  promise  of  security;  and  as  we 
looked  about  us  for  the  means  of  ascending  again  into 
the  upper  regions,  we  at  last  found  a  practicable  part  of 
the  rock,  and  half  an  hour's  toil  carried  us  to  the  summit 
of  the  same  cliff  from  which  the  preceding  evening  we 
had  descended. 

I  now  proposed  to  Toby  that  instead  of  rambling 
about  the  island,  exposing  ourselves  to  discovery  at 


60  TYPEE 

every  turn,  we  should  select  some  place  as  our  fixed 
abode  for  as  long  a  period  as  our  food  should  hold  out, 
build  ourselves  a  comfortable  hut,  and  be  as  prudent  and 
circumspect  as  possible.  To  all  this  my  companion 
assented,  and  we  at  once  set  about  carrying  the  plan 
into  execution. 

With  this  view,  after  exploring  without  success  a 
little  glen  near  us,  we  crossed  several  of  the  ridges  of 
which  I  have  before  spoken,  and  about  noon  found  our 
selves  ascending  a  long  and  gradually  rising  slope,  but 
still  without  having  discovered  any  place  adapted  to  our 
purpose.  Low  and  heavy  clouds  betokened  an  approach 
ing  storm,  and  we  hurried  on  to  gain  a  covert  in  a  clump 
of  thick  bushes  which  appeared  to  terminate  the  long 
ascent.  We  threw  ourselves  under  the  lee  of  these 
bushes,  and  pulling  up  the  long  grass  that  grew  around, 
covered  ourselves  completely  with  it  and  awaited  the 
shower. 

But  it  did  not  come  as  soon  as  we  had  expected,  and 
before  many  minutes  my  companion  was  fast  asleep,  and 
I  was  rapidly  falling  into  the  same  state  of  happy  for- 
getfulness.  Just  at  this  juncture,  however,  down  came 
the  rain  with  a  violence  that  put  all  thoughts  of  slumber 
to  flight.  Although  in  some  measure  sheltered,  our 
clothes  soon  became  as  wet  as  ever:  this,  after  all  the 
trouble  we  had  taken  to  dry  them,  was  provoking 
enough:  but  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  I  recommend 
all  adventurous  youths  who  abandon  vessels  in  romantic 
islands  during  the  rainy  season  to  provide  themselves 
with  umbrellas. 

After  an  hour  or  so  the  shower  passed  away.  My 
companion  slept  through  it  all,  or  at  least  appeared  so 
to  do;  and  now  that  it  was  over  I  had  not  the  heart  to 
awaken  him.  As  I  lay  on  my  back  completely  shrouded 


OTHER    SIDE    OF    THE    MOUNTAINS        61 

with  verdure,  the  leafy  branches  drooping  over  me,  and 
my  limbs  buried  in  grass,  I  could  not  avoid  comparing 
our  situation  with  that  of  the  interesting  babes  in  the 
wood.  Poor  little  sufferers! — no  wonder  their  con 
stitutions  broke  down  under  the  hardships  to  which  they 
were  exposed. 

During  the  hour  or  two  spent  under  the  shelter  of 
these  bushes,  I  began  to  feel  symptoms  which  I  at  once 
attributed  to  the  exposure  of  the  preceding  night.  Cold 
shiverings  and  a  burning  fever  succeeded  one  another 
at  intervals,  while  one  of  my  legs  was  swelled  to  such  a 
degree,  and  pained  me  so  acutely,  that  I  half  suspected 
I  had  been  bitten  by  some  venomous  reptile,  the  con 
genial  inhabitant  of  the  chasm  from  which  we  had  lately 
emerged.  I  may  here  remark  by  the  way  —  what  I  sub 
sequently  learned  —  that  all  the  islands  of  Polynesia  en 
joy  the  reputation,  in  common  with  the  Hibernian  isle, 
of  being  free  from  the  presence  of  any  vipers;  though 
whether  Saint  Patrick  ever  visited  them  is  a  question 
I  shall  not  attempt  to  decide. 

As  the  feverish  sensation  increased  upon  me,  I  tossed 
about,  still  unwilling  to  disturb  my  slumbering  com 
panion,  from  whose  side  I  removed  two  or  three  yards. 
I  chanced  to  push  aside  a  branch,  and  by  so  doing 
suddenly  disclosed  to  my  view  a  scene  which  even  now 
I  can  recall  with  all  the  vividness  of  the  first  impression. 
Had  a  glimpse  of  the  gardens  of  Paradise  been  revealed 
to  me  I  could  scarcely  have  been  more  ravished  with 
the  sight. 

From  the  spot  where  I  lay  transfixed  with  surprise  and 
delight,  I  looked  straight  down  into  the  bosom  of  a 
valley,  which  swept  away  in  long  wavy  undulations  to 
the  blue  waters  in  the  distance.  Midway  towards  the 
sea,  and  peering  here  and  there  amidst  the  foliage, 


62  TYPEE 

might  be  seen  the  palmetto-thatched  houses  of  its  in 
habitants  glistening  in  the  sun  that  had  bleached  them 
to  a  dazzling  whiteness.  The  vale  was  more  than  three 
leagues  in  width,  and  about  a  mile  across  at  its  greatest 
width. 

On  either  side  it  appeared  hemmed  in  by  steep  and 
green  acclivities,  which,  uniting  near  the  spot  where  I 
lay,  formed  an  abrupt  and  semicircular  termination  of 
grassy  cliffs  and  precipices  hundreds  of  feet  in  height, 
over  which  flowed  numberless  small  cascades.  But  the 
crowning  beauty  of  the  prospect  was  its  universal  ver 
dure;  and  in  this  indeed  consists,  I  believe,  the  pecul 
iar  charm  of  every  Polynesian  landscape.  Everywhere 
below  me,  from  the  base  of  the  precipice  upon  whose 
very  verge  I  had  been  unconsciously  reposing,  the  sur 
face  of  the  vale  presented  a  mass  of  foliage,  spread  with 
such  rich  profusion  that  it  was  impossible  to  deter 
mine  of  what  description  of  trees  it  consisted. 

But  perhaps  there  was  nothing  about  the  scenery  I 
beheld  more  impressive  than  those  silent  cascades,  whose 
slender  threads  of  water,  after  leaping  down  the  steep 
cliffs,  were  lost  amidst  the  rich  herbage  of  the  valley. 

Over  all  the  landscape  there  reigned  the  most  hushed 
repose,  which  I  almost  feared  to  break  lest,  like  the 
enchanted  gardens  in  the  fairy  tale,  a  single  syllable 
might  dissolve  the  spell.  For  a  long  time,  forgetful 
alike  of  my  own  situation  and  the  vicinity  of  my  still 
slumbering  companion,  I  remained  gazing  around  me, 
hardly  able  to  comprehend  by  what  means  I  had  thus 
suddenly  been  made  a  spectator  of  such  a  scene. 


CHAPTER    VIII 
JOURNEY  TOWARDS  THE  VALLEY 

RECOVERING  from  my  astonishment  at  the  beautiful 
scene  before  me,  I  quickly  awakened  Toby  and  informed 
him  of  the  discovery  I  had  made.  Together  we  now 
repaired  to  the  border  of  the  precipice,  and  my  com 
panion's  admiration  was  equal  to  my  own.  A  little 
reflection,  however,  abated  our  surprise  at  coming  so 
unexpectedly  upon  this  valley,  since  the  large  vales  of 
Happar  and  Typee,  lying  upon  this  side  of  Nukuheva 
and  extending  a  considerable  distance  from  the  sea 
towards  the  interior,  must  necessarily  terminate  some 
where  about  this  point. 

The  question  now  was  which  of  those  two  places  we 
were  looking  down  upon.  Toby  insisted  that  it  was 
the  abode  of  the  Happars,  and  I  that  it  was  tenanted 
by  their  enemies  the  ferocious  Typees.  To  be  sure  I 
was  not  entirely  convinced  by  my  own  arguments,  but 
Toby's  proposition  to  descend  at  once  into  the  valley 
and  partake  of  the  hospitality  of  its  inmates  seemed  to 
me  to  be  risking  so  much  upon  the  strength  of  a  mere 
suspicion  that  I  resolved  to  oppose  it  until  we  had  more 
evidence  to  proceed  upon. 

The  point  was  one  of  vital  importance,  as  the  natives 
of  Happar  were  not  only  at  peace  with  Nukuheva,  but 
cultivated  with  its  inhabitants  the  most  friendly  rela 
tions,  and  enjoyed  besides  a  reputation  for  gentleness 
and  humanity  which  led  us  to  expect  from  them,  if  not 

63 


64  TYPEE 

a  cordial  reception,  at  least  a  shelter  during  the  short 
period  we  should  remain  in  their  territory. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  very  name  of  Typee  struck  a 
panic  into  my  heart  which  I  did  not  attempt  to  dis 
guise.  The  thought  of  voluntarily  throwing  ourselves 
into  the  hands  of  these  cruel  savages  seemed  to  me  an 
act  of  mere  madness;  and  almost  equally  so  the  idea  of 
venturing  into  the  valley,  uncertain  by  which  of  these 
two  tribes  it  was  inhabited.  That  the  vale  at  our  feet 
was  tenanted  by  one  of  them  was  a  point  that  appeared 
to  us  past  all  doubt,  since  we  knew  that  they  resided  in 
this  quarter,  although  our  information  did  not  enlighten 
us  further. 

My  companion,  however,  incapable  of  resisting  the 
tempting  prospect  which  the  place  held  out  of  an  abun 
dant  supply  of  food  and  other  means  of  enjoyment,  still 
clung  to  his  own  inconsiderate  view  of  the  subject,  nor 
could  all  my  reasoning  shake  it.  When  I  reminded  him 
that  it  was  impossible  for  either  of  us  to  know  any 
thing  with  certainty,  and  when  I  dwelt  upon  the  terri 
ble  fate  we  should  encounter  were  we  rashly  to  descend 
into  the  valley  and  discover  too  late  the  error  we  had 
committed,  he  replied  by  detailing  all  the  evils  of  our 
present  condition  and  the  sufferings  we  must  undergo 
should  we  continue  to  remain  where  we  then  were. 

Anxious  to  draw  him  away  from  the  subject,  if  pos 
sible  —  for  I  saw  that  it  would  be  in  vain  to  attempt 
changing  his  mind  —  I  directed  his  attention  to  a  long 
bright  unwooded  tract  of  land  which,  sweeping  down 
from  the  elevations  in  the  interior,  descended  into  the 
valley  before  us.  I  then  suggested  to  him  that  beyond 
this  ridge  might  lie  a  capacious  and  untenanted  valley, 
abounding  with  all  manner  of  delicious  fruits;  for  I 
had  heard  that  there  were  several  such  upon  the  island, 


JOURNEY    TOWARDS    THE    VALLEY         65 

and  proposed  that  we  should  endeavour  to  reach  it,  and 
if  we  found  our  expectations  realised  we  should  at  once 
take  refuge  in  it  and  remain  there  as  long  as  we  pleased. 

He  acquiesced  in  the  suggestion;  and  we  immediately, 
therefore,  began  surveying  the  country  lying  before  us, 
with  a  view  of  determining  upon  the  best  route  for  us 
to  pursue;  but  it  presented  little  choice,  the  whole  in 
terval  being  broken  into  steep  ridges,  divided  by  dark 
ravines,  extending  in  parallel  lines  at  right  angles  to  our 
direct  course.  All  these  we  would  be  obliged  to  cross 
before  we  could  hope  to  arrive  at  our  destination. 

A  weary  journey!  But  we  decided  to  undertake  it, 
though,  for  my  own  part,  I  felt  little  prepared  to 
encounter  its  fatigues,  shivering  and  burning  by  turns 
with  the  ague  and  fever  —  for  I  know  not  how  else  to 
describe  the  alternate  sensations  I  experienced  —  and  suf 
fering  not  a  little  from  the  lameness  which  afflicted  me. 
Added  to  this  was  the  faintness  consequent  on  our 
meagre  diet  —  a  calamity  in  which  Toby  participated  to 
the  same  extent  as  myself. 

These  circumstances,  however,  only  augmented  my 
anxiety  to  reach  a  place  which  promised  us  plenty  and 
repose  before  I  should  be  reduced  to  a  state  which  would 
render  me  altogether  unable  to  perform  the  journey. 
Accordingly  we  now  commenced  it  by  descending  the 
almost  perpendicular  side  of  a  steep  and  narrow  gorge, 
bristling  with  a  thick  growth  of  reeds.  Here  there  was 
but  one  mode  for  us  to  adopt.  We  seated  ourselves 
upon  the  ground,  and  guided  our  descent  by  catching  at 
the  canes  in  our  path.  The  velocity  with  which  we 
thus  slid  down  the  side  of  the  ravine  soon  brought  us  to 
a  point  where  we  could  use  our  feet,  and  in  a  short  time 
we  arrived  at  the  edge  of  the  torrent,  which  rolled  im 
petuously  along  the  bed  of  the  chasm. 


66  TYPEE 

After  taking  a  refreshing  draught  from  the  water  of 
the  stream,  we  addressed  ourselves  to  a  much  more  dif 
ficult  undertaking  than  the  last.  Every  foot  of  our 
later  descent  had  to  be  regained  in  ascending  the  oppo 
site  side  of  the  gorge  —  an  operation  rendered  the  less 
agreeable  from  the  consideration  that  in  these  perpendic 
ular  episodes  we  did  not  progress  an  hundred  yards  on 
our  journey.  But,  ungrateful  as  the  task  was,  we  set 
about  it  with  exemplary  patience,  and  after  a  snail-like 
progress  of  an  hour  or  more,  had  scaled  perhaps  one- 
half  of  the  distance,  when  the  fever  which  had  left  me 
for  a  while  returned  with  such  violence,  and  accom 
panied  by  so  raging  a  thirst,  that  it  required  all  the 
entreaties  of  Toby  to  prevent  me  from  losing  all  the 
fruits  of  my  late  expedition  by  precipitating  myself  madly 
down  the  cliffs  we  had  just  climbed  in  quest  of  the 
water  which  flowed  so  temptingly  at  their  base.  At  the 
moment  all  my  hopes  and  fears  appeared  to  be  merged 
in  this  one  desire,  careless  of  the  consequences  that 
might  result  from  its  gratification.  I  am  aware  of  no 
feeling,  either  of  pleasure  or  of  pain,  that  so  completely 
deprives  one  of  all  power  to  resist  its  impulses  as  this 
same  raging  thirst. 

Toby  earnestly  conjured  me  to  continue  the  ascent, 
assuring  me  that  a  little  more  exertion  would  bring  us 
to  the  summit,  and  that  then  in  less  than  five  minutes 
we  should  find  ourselves  at  the  brink  of  the  stream 
which  must  necessarily  flow  on  the  other  side  of  the 
ridge. 

"Do  not,"  he  exclaimed,  "turn  back,  now  that  we 
have  proceeded  thus  far;  for  I  tell  you  that  neither  of 
us  will  have  the  courage  to  repeat  the  attempt  if  once 
more  we  find  ourselves  looking  up  to  where  we  now  are 
from  the  bottom  of  these  rocks!" 


JOURNEY   TOWARDS   THE   VALLEY        67 

I  was  not  yet  so  perfectly  beside  myself  as  to  be  heed 
less  of  these  representations,  and  therefore  toiled  on,  in 
effectually  endeavouring  to  appease  the  thirst  which 
consumed  me  by  thinking  that  in  a  short  time  I  should 
be  able  to  gratify  it  to  my  heart's  content. 

At  last  we  gained  the  top  of  the  second  elevation, 
the  loftiest  of  those  I  have  described  as  extending  in 
parallel  lines  between  us  and  the  valley  we  desired  to 
reach.  It  commanded  a  view  of  the  whole  intervening 
distance;  and,  discouraged  as  I  was  by  other  circum 
stances,  this  prospect  plunged  me  into  the  very  depths 
of  despair.  Nothing  but  dark  and  fearful  chasms,  sepa 
rated  by  sharp  crested  and  perpendicular  ridges  as  far 
as  the  eye  could  reach.  Could  we  have  stepped  from 
summit  to  summit  of  these  steep  but  narrow  elevations 
we  could  easily  have  accomplished  the  distance;  but 
we  must  penetrate  to  the  bottom  of  every  yawning  gulf, 
and  scale  in  succession  every  one  of  the  eminences  before 
us.  Even  Toby,  although  not  suffering  as  I  did,  was  not 
proof  against  the  disheartening  influences  of  the  sight. 

But  we  did  not  long  stand  to  contemplate  it,  im 
patient  as  I  was  to  reach  the  waters  of  the  torrent 
which  flowed  beneath  us.  With  an  insensibility  to  dan 
ger  which  I  cannot  call  to  mind  without  shuddering, 
we  threw  ourselves  down  the  depths  of  the  ravine, 
startling  its  savage  solitudes  with  the  echoes  produced 
by  the  falling  fragments  of  rock  we  every  moment  dis 
lodged  from  their  places,  careless  of  the  insecurity  of 
our  footing,  and  reckless  whether  the  slight  roots  and 
twigs  we  clutched  at  sustained  us  for  the  while,  or 
treacherously  yielded  to  our  grasp.  For  my  own  part, 
I  scarcely  knew  whether  I  was  hopelessly  falling  from 
the  heights  above,  or  whether  the  fearful  rapidity  with 
which  I  descended  was  an  act  of  my  own  volition. 


68  TYPEE 

In  a  few  minutes  we  reached  ~the  foot  of  the  gorge, 
and  kneeling  upon  a  small  ledge  of  dripping  rocks,  I 
bent  over  to  the  stream.  What  a  delicious  sensation 
was  I  now  to  experience!  I  paused  for  a  second  to  con 
centrate  all  my  capabilities  of  enjoyment,  and  then  im- 
merged  my  lips  in  the  clear  element  before  me.  Had 
the  apples  of  Sodom  turned  to  ashes  in  my  mouth,  I 
could  not  have  felt  a  more  startling  revulsion.  A  single 
drop  of  the  cold  fluid  seemed  to  freeze  every  drop  of 
blood  in  my  body;  the  fever  that  had  been  burning  in 
my  veins  gave  place  on  the  instant  to  death-like  chills, 
which  shook  me  one  after  another  like  so  many  shocks 
of  electricity,  while  the  perspiration  produced  by  my  late 
violent  exertions  congealed  in  icy  beads  upon  my  fore 
head.  My  thirst  was  gone,  and  I  fairly  loathed  the 
water.  Starting  to  my  feet,  the  sight  of  those  dank 
rocks  oozing  forth  moisture  at  every  crevice,  and  the 
dark  stream  shooting  along  its  dismal  channel,  sent 
fresh  chills  through  my  shivering  frame,  and  I  felt  as 
uncontrollable  a  desire  to  climb  up  towards  the  genial 
sunlight  as  I  before  had  to  descend  the  ravine. 

After  two  hours'  perilous  exertions  we  stood  upon 
the  summit  of  another  ridge,  and  it  was  with  difficulty 
I  could  bring  myself  to  believe  that  we  had  ever  pene 
trated  the  black  and  yawning  chasm  which  then  gaped 
at  our  feet.  Again  we  gazed  upon  the  prospect  which 
the  height  commanded,  but  it  was  just  as  depressing  as 
the  one  which  had  before  met  our  eyes.  I  now  felt 
that  in  our  present  situation  it  was  in  vain  for  us  to 
think  of  ever  overcoming  the  obstacles  in  our  way,  and 
I  gave  up  all  thoughts  of  reaching  the  vale  which  lay 
beyond  this  series  of  impediments,  while  at  the  same  time 
I  could  not  devise  any  scheme  to  extricate  ourselves 
from  the  difficulties  in  which  we  were  involved. 


JOURNEY   TOWARDS    THE    VALLEY        69 

The  remotest  idea  of  returning  to  Nukuheva,  unless 
assured  of  our  vessel's  departure,  never  once  entered 
my  mind,  and  indeed  it  was  questionable  whether  we 
could  have  succeeded  in  reaching  it,  divided  as  we  were 
from  the  bay  by  a  distance  we  could  not  compute,  and 
perplexed  too  in  our  remembrance  of  localities  by  our 
recent  wanderings.  Besides,  it  was  unendurable  to 
think  of  retracing  our  steps  and  rendering  all  our  pain 
ful  exertions  of  no  avail. 

There  is  scarcely  anything  when  a  man  is  in  difficul 
ties  that  he  is  more  disposed  to  look  upon  with  abhor 
rence  than  a  right-about  retrograde  movement  —  a 
systematic  going-over  of  the  already  trodden  ground ;  and 
especially  if  he  has  a  love  of  adventure,  such  a  course 
appears  indescribably  repulsive,  so  long  as  there  remains 
the  least  hope  to  be  derived  from  braving  untried  diffi 
culties. 

It  was  this  feeling  that  prompted  us  to  descend  the 
opposite  side  of  the  elevation  we  had  just  scaled,  al 
though  with  what  definite  object  in  view  it  would  have 
been  impossible  for  either  of  us  to  tell. 

Without  exchanging  a  syllable  upon  the  subject,  Toby 
and  myself  simultaneously  renounced  the  design  which 
had  lured  us  thus  far  —  perceiving  in  each  other's  coun 
tenances  that  desponding  expression  which  speaks  more 
eloquently  than  words. 

Together  we  stood  towards  the  close  of  this  weary  day 
in  the  cavity  of  the  third  gorge  we  had  entered,  wholly 
incapacitated  for  any  further  exertion  until  restored  to 
some  degree  of  strength  by  food  and  repose. 

We  seated  ourselves  upon  the  least  uncomfortable 
spot  we  could  select,  and  Toby  produced  from  the  bosom 
of  his  frock  the  sacred  package.  In  silence  we  partook 
of  the  small  morsel  of  refreshment  that  had  been  left 


70  TYPEE 

from  the  morning's  repast,  and  without  once  proposing 
to  violate  the  sanctity  of  our  engagement  with  respect 
to  the  remainder,  we  rose  to  our  feet  and  proceeded  to 
construct  some  sort  of  shelter  under  which  we  might  ob 
tain  the  sleep  we  so  greatly  needed. 

Fortunately  the  spot  was  better  adapted  to  our  pur 
pose  than  the  one  in  which  we  had  passed  the  last 
wretched  night.  We  cleared  away  the  tall  reeds  from 
a  small  but  almost  level  bit  of  ground,  and  twisted  them 
into  a  low  basket-like  hut,  which  we  covered  with  a 
profusion  of  long  thick  leaves,  gathered  from  a  tree 
near  at  hand.  We  disposed  them  thickly  all  around, 
reserving  only  a  slight  opening  that  barely  permitted 
us  to  crawl  under  the  shelter  we  had  thus  obtained. 

These  deep  recesses,  though  protected  from  the  winds 
that  assail  the  summits  of  their  lofty  sides,  are  damp 
and  chill  to  a  degree  that  one  would  hardly  anticipate 
in  such  a  climate;  and  being  unprovided  with  anything 
but  our  woollen  frocks  and  thin  duck  trousers  to  resist 
the  cold  of  the  place,  we  were  the  more  solicitous  to 
render  our  habitation  for  the  night  as  comfortable  as  we 
could.  Accordingly,  in  addition  to  what  we  had  already 
done,  we  plucked  down  all  the  leaves  within  our  reach 
and  threw  them  in  a  heap  over  our  little  hut,  into  which 
we  now  crept,  raking  after  us  a  reserve  supply  to  form 
our  couch. 

That  night  nothing  but  the  pain  I  suffered  prevented 
me  from  sleeping  most  refreshingly.  As  it  was,  I  caught 
two  or  three  naps,  while  Toby  slept  away  at  my  side  as 
soundly  as  though  he  had  been  sandwiched  between  two 
Holland  sheets.  Luckily  it  did  not  rain,  and  we  were 
preserved  from  the  misery  which  a  heavy  shower  would 
have  occasioned  us. 

In  the  morning  I  was  awakened  by  the  sonorous  voice 


JOURNEY   TOWARDS    THE   VALLEY         71 

of  my  companion  ringing  in  my  ears  and  bidding  me  rise. 
I  crawled  out  from  our  heap  of  leaves,  and  was  aston 
ished  at  the  change  which  a  good  night's  rest  had  wrought 
in  his  appearance.  He  was  as  blithe  and  joyous  as  a 
young  bird,  and  was  staying  the  keenness  of  his  morn 
ing's  appetite  by  chewing  the  soft  bark  of  a  delicate 
branch  he  held  in  his  hand,  and  he  recommended  the 
like  to  me  as  an  admirable  antidote  against  the  gnawings 
of  hunger. 

For  my  own  part,  though  feeling  materially  better 
than  I  had  done  the  preceding  evening,  I  could  not  look 
at  the  limb  that  had  pained  me  so  violently  at  inter 
vals  during  the  last  twenty-four  hours  without  experi 
encing  a  sense  of  alarm  that  I  strove  in  vain  to  shake  off. 
Unwilling  to  disturb  the  flow  of  my  comrade's  spirits, 
I  managed  to  stifle  the  complaints  to  which  I  might 
otherwise  have  given  vent,  and  calling  upon  him  good- 
humouredly  to  speed  our  banquet,  I  prepared  myself  for 
it  by  washing  in  the  stream.  This  operation  concluded, 
we  swallowed,  or  rather  absorbed,  by  a  peculiar  kind  of 
slow  sucking  process,  our  respective  morsels  of  nourish 
ment,  and  then  entered  into  a  discussion  as  to  the  steps 
iit  was  necessary  for  us  to  pursue. 

"What's  to  be  done  now?"  inquired  I,  rather  dolefully. 

"Descend  into  that  same  valley  we  descried  yester 
day,"  rejoined  Toby,  with  a  rapidity  and  loudness  of 
utterance  that  almost  led  me  to  suspect  he  had  been 
slyly  devouring  the  broadside  of  an  ox  in  some  of  the 
adjoining  thickets.  "What  else,"  he  continued,  "re 
mains  for  us  to  do  but  that,  to  be  sure?  Why,  we  shall 
both  starve  to  a  certainty  if  we  remain  here;  and  as  to 
your  fears  of  those  Typees  —  depend  upon  it,  it  is  all 
nonsense. 

"It  is  impossible  that  the  inhabitants  of  such  a  lovely 


72  TYPEE 

place  as  we  saw  can  be  anything  else  but  good  fellows; 
and  if  you  choose  rather  to  perish  with  hunger  in  one  of 
these  soppy  caverns,  I  for  one  prefer  to  chance  a  bold 
descent  into  the  valley,  and  risk  the  consequences." 

"And  who  is  to  pilot  us  thither,"  I  asked,  "even  if 
we  should  decide  upon  the  measure  you  propose?  Are  we 
to  go  again  up  and  down  those  precipices  that  we  crossed 
yesterday,  until  we  reach  the  place  we  started  from,  and 
then  take  a  flying  leap  from  the  cliffs  to  the  valley?" 

"'Faith,  I  didn't  think  of  that,"  said  Toby;  "sure 
enough,  both  sides  of  the  valley  appeared  to  be  hemmed 
in  by  precipices,  didn't  they?" 

"Yes,"  answered  I,  "as  steep  as  the  sides  of  a  line-of- 
battle  ship,  and  about  a  hundred  times  as  high."  My 
companion  sank  his  head  upon  his  breast  and  remained 
for  awhile  in  deep  thought.  Suddenly  he  sprang  to 
his  feet,  while  his  eyes  lighted  up  with  that  gleam  of 
intelligence  that  marks  the  presence  of  some  bright  idea. 

"Yes,  yes,"  he  exclaimed;  "the  streams  all  run  in  the 
same  direction,  and  must  necessarily  flow  into  the  valley 
before  they  reach  the  sea;  all  we  have  to  do  is  just  to 
follow  this  stream,  and  sooner  or  later  it  will  lead  us 
into  the  vale." 

"You  are  right,  Toby,"  I  exclaimed,  "you  are  right; 
it  must  conduct  us  thither,  and  quickly  too;  for  see  with 
what  a  steep  inclination  the  water  descends." 

"It  does,  indeed,"  burst  forth  my  companion,  over 
joyed  at  my  verification  of  his  theory;  "it  does  indeed; 
why,  it  is  as  plain  as  a  pike-staff.  Let  us  proceed  at  once ; 
come,  throw  away  all  those  stupid  ideas  about  the  Ty- 
pees,  and  hurrah  for  the  lovely  valley  of  the  Happars!" 

"You  will  have  it  to  be  Happar,  I  see,  my  dear  fellow; 
pray  Heaven  you  may  not  find  yourself  deceived," 
observed  I,  with  a  shake  of  my  head. 


JOURNEY   TOWARDS    THE    VALLEY        73 

"Amen  to  all  that,  and  much  more,"  shouted  Toby, 
rushing  forward;  "but  Happar  it  is,  for  nothing  else 
than  Happar  can  it  be.  So  glorious  a  valley  —  such 
forests  of  bread-fruit  trees  —  such  groves  of  cocoa-nut  — 
such  wildernesses  of  guava-bushes!  Ah,  shipmate!  don't 
linger  behind:  in  the  name  of  all  delightful  fruits,  I  am 
dying  to  be  at  them.  Come  on,  come  on;  shove  ahead, 
there's  a  lively  lad;  never  mind  the  rocks;  kick  them 
out  of  the  way,  as  I  do;  and  to-morrow,  old  fellow,  take 
my  word  for  it,  we  shall  be  in  clover.  Come  on;"  and 
so  saying,  he  dashed  along  the  ravine  like  a  mad  man, 
forgetting  my  inability  to  keep  up  with  him.  In  a  few 
minutes,  however,  the  exuberance  of  his  spirits  abated, 
and,  pausing  for  a  while,  he  permitted  me  to  overtake 
him. 


CHAPTER  IX 
FRIGHTFUL  DESCENT  TO  THE  RAVINE 

THE  fearless  confidence  of  Toby  was  contagious,  and 
I  began  to  adopt  the  Happar  side  of  the  question.  I 
could  not,  however,  overcome  a  certain  feeling  of  trepi 
dation  as  we  made  our  way  along  these  gloomy  soli 
tudes.  Our  progress,  at  first  comparatively  easy,  became 
more  and  more  difficult.  The  bed  of  the  watercourse 
was  covered  with  fragments  of  broken  rocks,  which  had 
fallen  from  above,  offering  so  many  obstructions  to  the 
course  of  the  rapid  stream,  which  vexed  and  fretted 
about  them  —  forming  at  intervals  small  waterfalls,  pour 
ing  over  into  deep  basins,  or  splashing  wildly  upon 
heaps  of  stones. 

From  the  narrowness  of  the  gorge  and  the  steepness 
of  its  sides,  there  was  no  mode  of  advancing  but  by 
wading  through  the  water,  stumbling  every  moment 
over  the  impediments  which  lay  hidden  under  its  sur 
face  or  tripping  against  the  huge  roots  of  trees.  But 
the  most  annoying  hindrance  we  encountered  was  from 
a  multitude  of  crooked  boughs  which,  shooting  out 
almost  horizontally  from  the  sides  of  the  chasm,  twisted 
themselves  together  in  fantastic  masses  almost  to  the 
surface  of  the  stream,  affording  us  no  passage  except 
under  the  low  arches  which  they  formed.  Under  these 
we  were  obliged  to  crawl  on  our  hands  and  feet,  sliding 
along  the  oozy  surface  of  the  rocks,  or  slipping  into  the 
deep  pools,  and  with  scarce  light  enough  to  guide  us. 

74 


FRIGHTFUL    DESCENT    TO    RAVINE       75 

Occasionally  we  would  strike  our  heads  against  some 
projecting  limb  of  a  tree,  and  while  imprudently  engaged 
in  rubbing  the  injured  part,  would  fall  sprawling  amongst 
flinty  fragments,  cutting  and  bruising  ourselves,  whilst 
the  unpitying  waters  flowed  over  our  prostrate  bodies. 
Belzoni,  worming  himself  through  the  subterranean  pass 
ages  of  the  Egyptian  catacombs,  could  not  have  met  with 
greater  impediments  than  those  we  here  encountered. 
But  we  struggled  against  them  manfully,  well  knowing 
our  only  hope  lay  in  advancing. 

Towards  sunset  we  halted  at  a  spot  where  we  made 
preparations  for  passing  the  night.  Here  we  constructed 
a  hut,  in  much  the  same  way  as  before,  and  crawling  into 
it,  endeavoured  to  forget  our  sufferings.  My  companion, 
I  believe,  slept  pretty  soundly;  but  at  daybreak,  when 
we  rolled  out  of  our  dwelling,  I  felt  nearly  disqualified 
for  any  further  efforts.  Toby  prescribed  as  a  remedy 
for  my  illness  the  contents  of  one  of  our  little  silk  pack 
ages,  to  be  taken  at  once  in  a  single  dose.  To  this  species 
of  medical  treatment,  however,  I  would  by  no  means 
accede,  much  as  he  insisted  upon  it ;  and  so  we  partook  of 
our  usual  morsel  and  silently  resumed  our  journey.  It 
was  now  the  fourth  day  since  we  left  Nukuheva,  and  the 
gnawings  of  hunger  became  painfully  acute.  We  were 
fain  to  pacify  them  by  chewing  the  tender  bark  of  roots 
and  twigs,  which,  if  they  did  not  afford  us  nourishment, 
were  at  least  sweet  and  pleasant  to  the  taste. 

Our  progress  along  the  steep  watercourse  was  neces 
sarily  slow,  and  by  noon  we  had  not  advanced  more 
than  a  mile.  It  was  somewhere  near  this  part  of  the 
day  that  the  noise  of  falling  waters,  which  we  had 
faintly  caught  in  the  early  morning,  became  more  dis 
tinct;  and  it  was  not  long  before  we  were  arrested  by 
a  rocky  precipice  of  nearly  a  hundred  feet  in  depth, 


76  TYPEE 

that  extended  all  across  the  channel,  and  over  which 
the  wild  stream  poured  in  an  unbroken  leap.  On  either 
hand  the  walls  of  the  ravine  presented  their  overhanging 
sides  both  above  and  below  the  fall,  affording  no  means 
whatever  of  avoiding  the  cataract  by  taking  a  circuit 
round  it. 

"What's  to  be  done  now,  Toby?"  said  I. 

"Why,"  rejoined  he,  "as  we  cannot  retreat,  I  sup 
pose  we  must  keep  shoving  along." 

"Very  true,  my  dear  Toby;  but  how  do  you  propose 
accomplishing  that  desirable  object?" 

"By  jumping  from  the  top  of  the  fall,  if  there  be  no 
other  way,"  unhesitatingly  replied  my  companion;  "it 
will  be  much  the  quickest  way  of  descent;  but  as  you 
are  not  quite  as  active  as  I  am,  we  will  try  some  other 
way." 

And,  so  saying,  he  crept  cautiously  along  and  peered 
over  the  abyss,  while  I  remained  wondering  by  what 
possible  means  we  could  overcome  this  apparently  in 
superable  obstruction.  As  soon  as  my  companion  had 
completed  his  survey,  I  eagerly  inquired  the  result. 

"The  result  of  my  observations  you  wish  to  know, 
do  you?"  began  Toby,  deliberately,  with  one  of  his  odd 
looks:  "well,  my  lad,  the  result  of  my  observations  is 
very  quickly  imparted.  It  is  at  present  uncertain  which 
of  our  two  necks  will  have  the  honour  to  be  broken  first ; 
but  about  a  hundred  to  one  would  be  a  fair  bet  in  favour 
of  the  man  who  takes  the  first  jump." 

"Then  it  is  an  impossible  thing,  is  it?"  inquired  I, 
gloomily. 

"No,  shipmate;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  the  easiest 
thing  in  life:  the  only  awkward  point  is  the  sort  of 
usage  which  our  unhappy  limbs  may  receive  when  we 
arrive  at  the  bottom,  and  what  sort  of  travelling  trim 


FRIGHTFUL    DESCENT    TO    RAVINE       77 

we  shall  be  in  afterwards.  But  follow  me  now,  and  I 
will  show  you  the  only  chance  we  have." 

With  this  he  conducted  me  to  the  verge  of  the  cata 
ract,  and  pointed  along  the  side  of  the  ravine  to  a  num 
ber  of  curious-looking  roots,  some  three  or  four  inches 
in  thickness,  and  several  feet  long,  which  after  twisting 
among  the  fissures  of  the  rock,  shot  perpendicularly  from 
it  and  ran  tapering  to  a  point  in  the  air,  hanging  over 
the  gulf  like  so  many  dark  icicles.  They  covered  nearly 
the  entire  surface  of  one  side  of  the  gorge,  the  lowest  of 
them  reaching  even  to  the  water.  Many  were  moss- 
grown  and  decayed,  with  their  extremities  snapped  short 
off,  and  those  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  fall  were 
slippery  with  moisture. 

Toby's  scheme,  and  it  was  a  desperate  one,  was  to  in 
trust  ourselves  to  these  treacherous-looking  roots,  and 
by  slipping  down  from  one  to  another  to  gain  the  bot- 
'tom. 

"Are  you  ready  to  venture  it?"  asked  Toby,  looking 
at  me  earnestly,  but  without  saying  a  word  as  to  the 
practicability  of  the  plan. 

"I  am,"  was  my  reply;  for  I  saw  it  was  our  only  re 
source  if  we  wished  to  advance,  and  as  for  retreating, 
all  thoughts  of  that  sort  had  been  long  abandoned. 

After  I  had  signified  my  assent,  Toby,  without  utter 
ing  a  single  word,  crawled  along  the  dripping  ledge 
until  he  gained  a  point  from  whence  he  could  just  reach 
one  of  the  largest  of  the  pendent  roots;  he  shook  it  — 
it  quivered  in  his  grasp,  and  when  he  let  it  go  it  twanged 
in  the  air  like  a  strong  wire  sharply  struck.  Satisfied 
by  his  scrutiny,  my  light-limbed  companion  swung  him 
self  nimbly  upon  it,  and  twisting  his  legs  round  it  in 
sailor  fashion,  slipped  down  eight  or  ten  feet,  where  his 
weight  gave  it  a  motion  not  unlike  that  of  a  pendulum. 


78  TYPEE 

He  could  not  venture  to  descend  any  further;  so  holding 
on  with  one  hand,  he  with  the  other  shook  one  by  one 
all  the  slender  roots  around  him,  and  at  last,  finding  one 
which  he  thought  trustworthy,  shifted  himself  to  it  and 
continued  his  downward  progress. 

So  far  so  well;  but  I  could  not  avoid  comparing  my 
heavier  frame  and  disabled  condition  with  his  light  fig 
ure  and  remarkable  activity;  but  there  was  no  help  for 
it,  and  in  less  than  a  minute's  time  I  was  swinging 
directly  over  his  head.  As  soon  as  his  upturned  eyes 
caught  a  glimpse  of  me,  he  exclaimed  in  his  usual  dry 
tone,  for  the  danger  did  not  seem  to  daunt  him  in  the 
least,  "Mate,  do  me  the  kindness  not  to  fall  until  I  get 
out  of  your  way;"  and  then  swinging  himself  more  on 
one  side,  he  continued  his  descent.  In  the  mean  time  I 
cautiously  transferred  myself  from  the  limb  down  which 
I  had  been  slipping  to  a  couple  of  others  that  were  near 
it,  deeming  two  strings  to  my  bow  better  than  one,  and 
taking  care  to  test  their  strength  before  I  trusted  my 
weight  to  them. 

On  arriving  towards  the  end  of  the  second  stage  in 
this  vertical  journey,  and  shaking  the  long  roots  which 
were  round  me,  to  my  consternation  they  snapped  off 
one  after  another  like  so  many  pipe  stems,  and  fell  in 
fragments  against  the  side  of  the  gulf,  splashing  at 
last  into  the  waters  beneath. 

As  one  after  another  the  treacherous  roots  yielded  to 
my  grasp  and  fell  into  the  torrent,  my  heart  sunk  within 
me.  The  branches  on  which  I  was  suspended  over  the 
yawning  chasm  swung  to  and  fro  in  the  air,  and  I  ex 
pected  them  every  moment  to  snap  in  twain.  Appalled 
at  the  dreadful  fate  that  menaced  me,  I  clutched  fran 
tically  at  the  only  large  root  which  remained  near  me, 
but  in  vain;  I  could  not  reach  it,  though  my  fingers 


FRIGHTFUL    DESCENT    TO    RAVINE       79 

were  within  a  few  inches  of  it.  Again  and  again  I  tried 
to  reach  it,  until  at  length,  maddened  with  the  thought 
of  my  situation,  I  swayed  myself  violently  by  striking 
my  foot  against  the  side  of  the  rock,  and  at  the  instant 
that  I  approached  the  large  root  caught  desperately  at 
it,  and  transferred  myself  to  it.  It  vibrated  violently 
under  the  sudden  weight,  but  fortunately  did  not  give 
way. 

My  brain  grew  dizzy  with  the  idea  of  the  frightful 
risk  I  had  just  run,  and  I  involuntarily  closed  my  eyes 
to  shut  out  the  view  of  the  depth  beneath  me.  For  the 
instant  I  was  safe,  and  I  uttered  a  devout  ejaculation  of 
thanksgiving  for  my  escape. 

"Pretty  well  done,"  shouted  Toby  underneath  me; 
"you  are  nimbler  than  I  thought  you  to  be  —  hopping 
about  up  there  from  root  to  root  like  any  young  squirrel. 
As  soon  as  you  have  diverted  yourself  sufficiently,  I 
would  advise  you  to  proceed." 

"Aye,  aye,  Toby,  all  in  good  time:  two  or  three  more 
such  famous  roots  as  this,  and  I  shall  be  with  you." 

The  residue  of  my  downward  progress  was  compara 
tively  easy;  the  roots  were  in  greater  abundance,  and 
in  one  or  two  places  jutting  out  points  of  rock  assisted 
me  greatly.  In  a  few  moments  I  was  standing  by  the 
side  of  my  companion. 

Substituting  a  stout  stick  for  the  one  I  had  thrown 
aside  at  the  top  of  the  precipice,  we  now  continued  our 
course  along  the  bed  of  the  ravine.  Soon  we  were  sa 
luted  by  a  sound  in  advance,  that  grew  by  degrees  louder 
and  louder,  as  the  noise  of  the  cataract  we  were  leaving 
behind  gradually  died  on  our  ears. 

"Another  precipice  for  us,  Toby." 

"Very   good;    we   can   descend   them,   you   know  — 


8o  TYPEE 

Nothing  indeed  appeared  to  depress  or  intimidate  this 
intrepid  fellow.  Typees  or  Niagaras,  he  was  as  ready 
to  engage  one  as  the  other,  and  I  could  not  avoid  a 
thousand  times  congratulating  myself  upon  having  such 
a  companion  in  an  enterprise  like  the  present. 

After  an  hour's  painful  progress  we  reached  the  verge 
of  another  fall,  still  loftier  than  the  preceding,  and 
flanked  both  above  and  below  with  the  same  steep 
masses  of  rock,  presenting,  however,  here  and  there 
narrow  irregular  ledges,  supporting  a  shallow  soil,  on 
which  grew  a  variety  of  bushes  and  trees,  whose  bright 
verdure  contrasted  beautifully  with  the  foamy  waters 
that  flowed  between  them. 

Toby,  who  invariably  acted  as  pioneer,  now  proceeded 
to  reconnoitre.  On  his  return,  he  reported  that  the 
shelves  of  rock  on  our  right  would  enable  us  to  gain 
with  little  risk  the  bottom  of  the  cataract.  Accord 
ingly,  leaving  the  bed  of  the  stream  at  the  very  point 
where  it  thundered  down,  we  began  crawling  along  one 
of  these  sloping  ledges  until  it  carried  us  to  within  a 
few  feet  of  another  that  inclined  downward  at  a  still 
sharper  angle,  and  upon  which,  by  assisting  each  other, 
we  managed  to  alight  in  safety.  We  warily  crept  along 
this,  steadying  ourselves  by  the  naked  roots  of  the 
shrubs  that  clung  to  every  fissure.  As  we  proceeded, 
the  narrow  path  became  still  more  contracted,  rendering 
it  difficult  for  us  to  maintain  our  footing,  until  sud 
denly,  as  we  reached  an  angle  of  the  wall  of  rock  where 
we  had  expected  it  to  widen,  we  perceived  to  our  con 
sternation  that  a  yard  or  two  farther  on  it  abruptly  ter 
minated  at  a  place  we  could  not  possibly  hope  to  pass. 

Toby  as  usual  led  the  van,  and  in  silence  I  waited  to 
learn  from  him  how  he  proposed  to  extricate  us  from 
this  new  difficulty. 


FRIGHTFUL    DESCENT    TO    RAVINE       81 

"Well,  my  boy,"  I  exclaimed,  after  the  expiration  of 
several  minutes,  during  which  time  my  companion  had 
not  uttered  a  word;  "what's  to  be  done  now?" 

He  replied  in  a  tranquil  tone  that  probably  the  best 
thing  we  could  do  in  our  present  strait  was  to  get  out 
of  it  as  soon  as  possible. 

"Yes,  my  dear  Toby,  but  tell  me  how  we  are  to  get 
out  of  it." 

"Something  in  this  sort  of  style,"  he  replied;  and  at 
the  same  moment  to  my  horror  he  slipped  sideways  off 
the  rock,  and  as  I  then  thought,  by  good  fortune  merely 
alighted  among  the  spreading  branches  of  a  species 
of  palm  tree,  that,  shooting  its  hardy  roots  along  a 
ledge  below,  curved  its  trunk  upwards  into  the  air, 
and  presented  a  thick  mass  of  foliage  about  twenty  feet 
below  the  spot  where  we  had  thus  suddenly  been  brought 
to  a  standstill.  I  involuntarily  held  my  breath,  ex 
pecting  to  see  the  form  of  my  companion,  after  being 
sustained  for  a  moment  by  the  branches  of  the  tree, 
sink  through  their  frail  support  and  fall  headlong  to 
the  bottom.  To  my  surprise  and  joy,  however,  he  re 
covered  himself,  and  disentangling  his  limbs  from  the 
fractured  branches,  he  peered  out  from  his  leafy  bed  and 
shouted  lustily,  "Come  on,  my  hearty;  there  is  no  other 
alternative!"  and  with  this  he  ducked  beneath  the  foli 
age,  and  slipping  down  the  trunk,  stood  in  a  moment 
at  least  fifty  feet  beneath  me,  upon  the  broad  shelf  of 
rock  from  which  sprang  the  tree  he  had  descended. 

What  would  I  not  have  given  at  that  moment  to  have 
been  by  his  side!  The  feat  he  had  just  accomplished 
seemed  little  less  than  miraculous,  and  I  could  hardly 
credit  the  evidence  of  my  senses  when  I  saw  the  wide 
distance  that  a  single  daring  act  had  so  suddenly  placed 
between  us, 


82  TYPEE 

Toby's  animating  "Come  on!"  again  sounded  in  my 
ears,  and  dreading  to  lose  all  confidence  in  myself  if  I 
remained  meditating  upon  the  step,  I  once  more  gazed 
down  to  assure  myself  of  the  relative  bearing  of  the  tree 
and  my  own  position,  and  then  closing  my  eyes  and 
uttering  one  comprehensive  ejaculation  of  prayer,  I  in 
clined  myself  over  the  abyss,  and  after  one  breathless 
instant  fell  with  a  crash  into  the  tree,  the  branches  snap 
ping  and  crackling  with  my  weight,  as  I  sunk  lower  and 
lower  among  them,  until  I  was  stopped  by  coming  in 
contact  with  a  sturdy  limb. 

In  a  few  moments  I  was  standing  at  the  foot  of  the 
tree,  manipulating  myself  all  over  with  a  view  of  ascer 
taining  the  extent  of  the  injuries  I  had  received.  To  my 
surprise  the  only  effects  of  my  feat  were  a  few  slight  con 
tusions  too  trifling  to  care  about.  The  rest  of  our  descent 
was  easily  accomplished,  and  in  half  an  hour  after  re 
gaining  the  ravine  we  had  partaken  of  our  evening  mor 
sel,  built  our  hut  as  usual,  and  crawled  under  its  shelter. 

The  next  morning,  in  spite  of  our  debility  and  the 
agony  of  hunger  under  which  we  were  now  suffering, 
though  neither  of  us  confessed  to  the  fact,  we  struggled 
along  our  dismal  and  still  difficult  and  dangerous  path, 
cheered  by  the  hope  of  soon  catching  a  glimpse  of  the 
valley  before  us,  and  towards  evening  the  voice  of  a 
cataract  which  had  for  some  time  sounded  like  a  low 
deep  bass  to  the  music  of  the  smaller  waterfalls  broke 
upon  our  ears  in  still  louder  tones,  and  assured  us  that 
we  were  approaching  its  vicinity. 

That  evening  we  stood  on  the  brink  of  a  precipice 
over  which  the  dark  stream  bounded  in  one  final  leap  of 
full  three  hundred  feet.  The  sheer  descent  terminated 
in  the  region  we  so  long  had  sought.  On  either  side  of 
the  fall,  two  lofty  and  perpendicular  bluffs  buttressed 


FRIGHTFUL    DESCENT    TO    RAVINE       83 

the  sides  of  the  enormous  cliff,  and  projected  into  the 
sea  of  verdure  with  which  the  valley  waved,  and  a  range 
of  similar  projecting  eminences  stood  disposed  in  a  half 
circle  about  the  head  of  the  vale.  A  thick  canopy  of 
trees  hung  over  the  very  verge  of  the  fall,  leaving  an 
arched  aperture  for  the  passage  of  the  waters,  which 
imparted  a  strange  picturesqueness  to  the  scene. 

The  valley  was  now  before  us;  but  instead  of  being 
conducted  into  its  smiling  bosom  by  the  gradual  descent 
of  the  deep  water-course  we  had  thus  far  pursued,  all 
our  labours  now  appeared  to  have  been  rendered  futile 
by  its  abrupt  termination.  But,  bitterly  disappointed, 
we  did  not  entirely  despair.  As  it  was  now  near  sunset 
we  determined  to  pass  the  night  where  we  were,  and  on 
the  morrow,  refreshed  by  sleep  and  by  eating  at  one 
meal  all  our  stock  of  food,  to  accomplish  a  descent  into 
the  valley  or  perish  in  the  attempt. 

We  laid  ourselves  down  that  night  on  a  spot,  the 
recollection  of  which  still  makes  me  shudder.  A  small 
table  of  rock  which  projected  over  the  precipice  on  one 
side  of  the  stream,  and  was  drenched  by  the  spray  of 
the  fall,  sustained  a  huge  trunk  of  a  tree  which  must 
have  been  deposited  there  by  some  heavy  freshet.  It 
lay  obliquely,  with  one  end  resting  on  the  rock  and  the 
other  supported  by  the  side  of  the  ravine.  Against  it 
we  placed  in  a  sloping  direction  a  number  of  the  half 
decayed  boughs  that  were  strewn  about,  and  covering 
the  whole  with  twigs  and  leaves,  awaited  the  morning's 
light  beneath  such  shelter  as  it  afforded. 

During  the  whole  of  this  night  the  continual  roaring 
of  the  cataract,  the  dismal  moaning  of  the  gale  through 
the  trees,  the  pattering  of  the  rain,  and  the  profound 
darkness,  affected  my  spirits  to  a  degree  which  nothing 
had  ever  before  produced.  Wet,  half  famished,  and 


84  TYPEE 

chilled  to  the  heart  with  the  dampness  of  the  place,  and 
nearly  wild  with  the  pain  I  endured,  I  fairly  cowered 
down  to  the  earth  under  this  multiplication  of  hardships, 
and  abandoned  myself  to  frightful  anticipations  of  evil; 
and  my  companion,  whose  spirit  at  last  was  a  good  deal 
broken,  scarcely  uttered  a  word  during  the  whole  night. 

At  length  the  day  dawned  upon  us,  and  rising  from 
our  miserable  pallet,  we  stretched  our  stiffened  joints, 
and  after  eating  all  that  remained  of  our  bread,  prepared 
for  the  last  stage  of  our  journey. 

I  will  not  recount  every  hair-breadth  escape,  and  every 
fearful  difficulty  that  occurred  before  we  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  bosom  of  the  valley.  As  I  have  already 
described  similar  scenes,  it  will  be  sufficient  to  say  that 
at  length,  after  great  toil  and  great  dangers,  we  both 
stood  with  no  limbs  broken  at  the  head  of  that  magnifi 
cent  vale  which  five  days  before  had  so  suddenly  burst 
upon  my  sight,  and  almost  beneath  the  shadows  of  those 
very  cliffs  from  whose  summits  we  had  gazed  upon  the 
prospect. 


CHAPTER  X 
TYPEE    OR   HAPPAR? 

TYPEE  or  Happar?  A  frightful  death  at  the  hands  of 
the  fiercest  of  cannibals,  or  a  kindly  reception  from  a 
gentler  race  of  savages?  Which?  But  it  was  too  late 
now  to  discuss  a  question  which  would  so  soon  be 
answered.  How  to  obtain  the  fruit  which  we  felt  con 
vinced  must  grow  near  at  hand  was  our  first  thought. 
The  part  of  the  valley  in  which  we  found  ourselves  ap 
peared  to  be  altogether  uninhabited.  An  almost  im 
penetrable  thicket  extended  from  side  to  side,  without 
presenting  a  single  plant  affording  the  nourishment  we 
had  confidently  calculated  upon.  We  followed  the  course 
of  the  stream,  casting  quick  glances  as  we  approached 
into  the  thick  jungles  on  either  hand. 

My  companion  —  to  whose  solicitations  I  had  yielded 
in  descending  into  the  valley  —  now  that  the  step  was 
taken,  began  to  manifest  a  degree  of  caution  I  had  little 
expected  from  him.  He  proposed  that,  in  the  event  of 
our  finding  an  adequate  supply  of  fruit,  we  should  re 
main  in  this  unfrequented  portion  of  the  country  — 
where  we  should  run  little  chance  of  being  surprised  by 
its  occupants,  whoever  they  might  be  —  until  sufficiently 
recruited  to  resume  our  journey,  when  laying  in  a  store  of 
food  equal  to  our  wants,  we  might  easily  regain  the  bay 
of  Nukuheva,  after  the  lapse  of  a  sufficient  interval  to 
ensure  the  departure  of  our  vessel. 

I  objected  strongly  to  this  proposition,  plausible  as 
85 


86  TYPEE 

it  was,  as  the  difficulties  of  the  route  would  be  almost 
insurmountable,  unacquainted  as  we  were  with  the  gen 
eral  bearings  of  the  country,  and  I  reminded  my  com 
panion  of  the  hardships  which  we  had  already  encoun 
tered  in  our  uncertain  wanderings;  in  a  word,  I  said 
that  since  we  had  deemed  it  advisable  to  enter  the  val 
ley,  we  ought  manfully  to  face  the  consequences,  what 
ever  they  might  be,  the  more  especially  as  I  was  con 
vinced  there  was  no  alternative  left  us  but  to  fall  in 
with  the  natives  at  once,  and  boldly  risk  the  reception 
they  might  give  us:  and  that  as  to  myself,  I  felt  the 
necessity  of  rest  and  shelter,  and  that  until  I  had  ob 
tained  them  I  should  be  wholly  unable  to  encounter 
such  sufferings  as  we  had  lately  passed  through.  To 
the  justice  of  these  observations  Toby  somewhat  reluc 
tantly  assented. 

We  were  surprised  that,  after  moving  as  far  as  we 
had  along  the  valley,  we  should  still  meet  with  the 
same  impervious  thickets,  and  thinking  that  although 
the  borders  of  the  stream  might  be  lined  for  some  dis 
tance  with  them,  yet  beyond  there  might  be  more  open 
ground,  I  requested  Toby  to  keep  a  bright  look-out 
upon  one  side,  while  I  did  the  same  on  the  other,  in 
order  to  discover  some  opening  in  the  bushes,  and  espe 
cially  to  watch  for  the  slightest  appearance  of  a  path 
or  anything  else  that  might  indicate  the  vicinity  of  the 
islanders. 

What  furtive  and  anxious  glances  we  cast  into  those 
dim-looking  shades!  With  what  apprehensions  we  pro 
ceeded,  ignorant  at  what  moment  we  might  be  greeted 
by  the  javelin  of  some  ambushed  savage!  At  last  my 
companion  paused,  and  directed  my  attention  to  a  nar 
row  opening  in  the  foliage.  We  struck  into  it  and  it 
soon  brought  us,  by  an  indistinctly  traced  path,  to  a 


TYPEE    OR    HAPPAR?  87 

comparatively  clear  space,  at  the  further  end  of  which 
we  descried  a  number  of  trees,  the  native  name  of  which 
is  "annuee,"  and  which  bear  a  most  delicious  fruit. 

What  a  race!  I  hobbling  over  the  ground  like  some 
decrepit  wretch,  and  Toby  leaping  forward  like  a  grey 
hound.  He  quickly  cleared  one  of  the  trees  on  which 
there  were  two  or  three  of  the  fruit,  but  to  our  chagrin 
they  proved  to  be  much  decayed,  the  rinds  partly  opened 
by  the  birds,  and  their  hearts  half  devoured.  However, 
we  quickly  despatched  them,  and  no  ambrosia  could  have 
been  more  delicious. 

We  looked  about  us,  uncertain  whither  to  direct  our 
steps,  since  the  path  we  had  so  far  followed  appeared 
to  be  lost  in  the  open  space  around  us.  At  last  we  re 
solved  to  enter  a  grove  near  at  hand,  and  had  advanced 
a  few  rods  when,  just  upon  its  skirts,  I  picked  up  a 
slender  bread-fruit  shoot,  perfectly  green,  and  with  the 
tender  bark  freshly  stript  from  it.  It  was  still  slippery 
with  moisture,  and  appeared  as  if  it  had  been  but  that 
moment  thrown  aside.  I  said  nothing,  but  merely  held 
it  up  to  Toby,  who  started  at  this  undeniable  evidence 
of  the  vicinity  of  the  savages. 

The  plot  was  now  thickening.  A  short  distance  further 
lay  a  little  fagot  of  the  same  shoots  bound  together 
with  a  strip  of  bark.  Could  it  have  been  thrown  down 
by  some  solitary  native  who,  alarmed  at  seeing  us.  had 
hurried  forward  to  carry  the  tidings  of  our  approach  to 
his  countrymen?  Typee  or  Happar?  But  it  was  too 
late  to  recede,  so  we  moved  on  slowly,  my  companion 
in  advance,  casting  eager  glances  under  the  trees  on 
either  side,  until  all  at  once  I  saw  him  recoil  as  if  stung 
by  an  adder.  Sinking  on  his  knee,  he  waved  me  off 
with  one  hand,  while  with  the  other  he  held  aside  some 
intervening  leaves  and  gazed  intently  at  some  object. 


88  TYPEE 

Disregarding  his  injunction,  I  quickly  approached 
him,  and  caught  a  glimpse  of  two  figures  partly  hidden 
by  the  dense  foliage;  they  were  standing  close  together, 
and  were  perfectly  motionless.  They  must  have  pre 
viously  perceived  us,  and  withdrawn  into  the  depths  of 
the  wood  to  elude  our  observation. 

My  mind  was  at  once  made  up.  Dropping  my  staff, 
and  tearing  open  the  package  of  things  we  had  brought 
from  the  ship,  I  unrolled  the  cotton  cloth,  and  holding 
it  in  one  hand,  plucked  with  the  other  a  twig  from  the 
bushes  beside  me,  and  telling  Toby  to  follow  my  ex 
ample,  I  broke  through  the  covert  and  advanced,  waving 
the  branch  in  token  of  peace,  towards  the  shrinking 
forms  before  me. 

They  were  a  boy  and  girl,  slender  and  graceful,  and 
completely  naked,  with  the  exception  of  a  slight  girdle 
of  bark,  from  which  depended  at  opposite  points  two 
of  the  russet  leaves  of  the  bread-fruit  tree.  An  arm  of 
the  boy,  half  screened  from  sight  by  her  wild  tresses, 
was  thrown  about  the  neck  of  the  girl,  while  with  the 
other  he  held  one  of  her  hands  in  his;  and  thus  they 
stood  together,  their  heads  inclined  forward,  catching 
the  faint  noise  we  made  in  our  progress,  and  with  one 
foot  in  advance,  as  if  half  inclined  to  fly  from  our 
presence. 

As  we  drew  near  their  alarm  evidently  increased. 
Apprehensive  that  they  might  fly  from  us  altogether,  I 
stopped  short  and  motioned  them  to  advance  and  receive 
the  gift  I  extended  towards  them,  but  they  would  not; 
I  then  uttered  a  few  words  of  their  language  with  which 
I  was  acquainted,  scarcely  expecting  that  they  would 
understand  me,  but  to  show  that  we  had  not  dropped 
from  the  clouds  upon  them.  This  appeared  to  give 
them  a  little  confidence,  so  I  approached  nearer,  present- 


TYPEE    OR   HAPPAR?  89 

ing  the  cloth  with  one  hand  and  holding  the  bough  with 
the  other,  while  they  slowly  retreated.  At  last  they 
suffered  us  to  approach  so  near  to  them  that  we  were 
enabled  to  throw  the  cotton  cloth  across  their  shoulders, 
giving  them  to  understand  that  it  was  theirs,  and  by  a 
variety  of  gestures  endeavouring  to  make  them  under 
stand  that  we  entertained  the  highest  possible  regard 
for  them. 

The  frightened  pair  now  stood  still,  whilst  we  en 
deavoured  to  make  them  comprehend  the  nature  of  our 
wants.  In  doing  this  Toby  went  through  with  a  com 
plete  series  of  pantomimic  illustrations  —  opening  his 
mouth  from  ear  to  ear  and,  thrusting  his  fingers  down 
his  throat,  gnashing  his  teeth  and  rolling  his  eyes  about, 
till  I  verily  believe  the  poor  creatures  took  us  for  a 
couple  of  white  cannibals  who  were  about  to  make  a 
meal  of  them.  When,  however,  they  understood  us, 
they  showed  no  inclination  to  relieve  our  wants.  At 
this  juncture  it  began  to  rain  violently,  and  we  motioned 
them  to  lead  us  to  some  place  of  shelter.  With  this 
request  they  appeared  willing  to  comply,  but  nothing 
could  evince  more  strongly  the  apprehension  with  which 
they  regarded  us  than  the  way  in  which,  whilst  walking 
before  us,  they  kept  their  eyes  constantly  turned  back 
to  watch  every  movement  we  made,  and  even  our  very 
looks. 

"Typee  or  Happar,  Toby?"  asked  I  as  we  walked 
after  them. 

"Of  course  Kappar,"  he  replied  with  a  show  of  con 
fidence  which  was  intended  to  disguise  his  doubts. 

"We  shall  soon  know,"  I  exclaimed;  and  at  the  same 
moment  I  stepped  forward  towards  our  guides,  and  pro 
nouncing  the  two  names  interrogatively  and  pointing 
to  the  lowest  part  of  the  valley,  endeavoured  to  come 


90  TYPEE 

to  the  point  at  once.  They  repeated  the  words  after 
me  again  and  again,  but  without  giving  any  peculiar 
emphasis  to  either,  so  that  I  was  completely  at  a  loss 
to  understand  them;  for  a  couple  of  wilier  young  things 
than  we  afterwards  found  them  to  have  been  on  this 
particular  occasion  never  probably  fell  in  any  traveller's 
way. 

More  and  more  curious  to  ascertain  our  fate,  I  now 
threw  together  in  the  form  of  a  question  the  words 
"Happar"  and  "motarkee,"  the  latter  being  equivalent 
to  the  word  "good."  The  two  natives  interchanged 
glances  of  peculiar  meaning  with  one  another  at  this, 
and  manifested  no  little  surprise;  but  on  the  repetition 
of  the  question,  after  some  consultation  together,  to  the 
great  joy  of  Toby,  they  answered  in  the  affirmative. 
Toby  was  now  in  ecstasies,  especially  as  the  young  sav 
ages  continued  to  reiterate  their  answer  with  great 
energy,  as  though  desirous  of  impressing  us  with  the 
idea  that  being  among  the  Happars,  we  ought  to  con 
sider  ourselves  perfectly  secure. 

Although  I  had  some  lingering  doubts,  I  feigned 
great  delight  with  Toby  at  this  announcement,  while 
my  companion  broke  out  into  a  pantomimic  abhorrence 
of  Typee,  and  immeasurable  love  for  the  particular 
valley  in  which  we  were;  our  guides  all  the  while  gazing 
uneasily  at  one  another  as  if  at  a  loss  to  account  for 
our  conduct. 

They  hurried  on,  and  we  followed  them;  until  sud 
denly  they  set  up  a  strange  halloo,  which  was  answered 
from  beyond  the  grove  through  which  we  were  passing, 
and  the  next  moment  we  entered  upon  some  open  ground, 
at  the  extremity  of  which  we  descried  a  long,  low  hut, 
and  in  front  of  it  were  several  young  girls.  As  soon 
as  they  perceived  us  they  fled  with  wild  screams  into 


TYPEE   OR    HAPPAR?  91 

the  adjoining  thickets,  like  so  many  startled  fawns.  A 
few  moments  after  the  whole  valley  resounded  with 
savage  outcries,  and  the  natives  came  running  towards 
us  from  every  direction. 

Had  an  army  of  invaders  made  an  irruption  into  their 
territory  they  could  not  have  evinced  greater  excitement. 
We  were  soon  completely  encircled  by  a  dense  throng, 
and  in  their  eager  desire  to  behold  us  they  almost 
arrested  our  progress;  an  equal  number  surrounding  our 
youthful  guides,  who  with  amazing  volubility  appeared  to 
be  detailing  the  circumstances  which  had  attended  their 
meeting  with  us.  Every  item  of  intelligence  appeared  to 
redouble  the  astonishment  of  the  islanders,  and  they 
gazed  at  us  with  inquiring  looks. 

At  last  we  reached  a  large  and  handsome  building 
of  bamboos,  and  were  by  signs  told  to  enter  it,  the 
natives  opening  a  lane  for  us  through  which  to  pass;  on 
entering  without  ceremony,  we  threw  our  exhausted 
frames  upon  the  mats  that  covered  the  floor.  In  a  mo 
ment  the  slight  tenement  was  completely  full  of  people, 
whilst  those  who  were  unable  to  obtain  admittance 
gazed  at  us  through  its  open  cane-work. 

It  was  now  evening,  and  by  the  dim  light  we  could 
just  discern  the  savage  countenances  around  us,  gleam 
ing  with  wild  curiosity  and  wonder;  the  naked  forms 
and  tattooed  limbs  of  brawny  warriors,  with  here  and 
there  the  slighter  figures  of  young  girls,  all  engaged  in 
a  perfect  storm  of  conversation,  of  which  we  were  of 
course  the  one  only  theme;  whilst  our  recent  guides 
were  fully  occupied  in  answering  the  innumerable  ques 
tions  which  every  one  put  to  them.  Nothing  can  exceed 
the  fierce  gesticulation  of  these  people  when  animated 
in  conversation,  and  on  this  occasion  they  gave  loose 
to  all  their  natural  vivacity,  shouting  and  dancing  about 
in  a  manner  that  well-nigh  intimidated  us. 


92  TYPEE 

Close  to  where  we  lay,  squatting  upon  their  haunches, 
were  some  eight  or  ten  noble-looking  chiefs  —  for  such 
they  subsequently  proved  to  be  —  who,  more  reserved 
than  the  rest,  regarded  us  with  a  fixed  and  stern  atten 
tion  which  not  a  little  discomposed  our  equanimity. 
One  of  them  in  particular,  who  appeared  to  be  the 
highest  in  rank,  placed  himself  directly  facing  me; 
looking  at  me  with  a  rigidity  of  aspect  under  which  I 
absolutely  quailed.  He  never  once  opened  his  lips,  but 
maintained  his  severe  expression  of  countenance,  with 
out  turning  his  face  aside  for  a  single  moment.  Never 
before  had  I  been  subjected  to  so  strange  and  steady  a 
glance;  it  revealed  nothing  of  the  mind  of  the  savage, 
but  it  appeared  to  be  reading  my  own. 

After  undergoing  this  scrutiny  till  I  grew  absolutely 
nervous,  with  a  view  of  diverting  it  if  possible,  and 
conciliating  the  good  opinion  of  the  warrior,  I  took 
some  tobacco  from  the  bosom  of  my  frock  and  offered  it 
to  him.  He  quietly  rejected  the  proffered  gift,  and, 
without  speaking,  motioned  me  to  return  it  to  its  place. 

In  my  previous  intercourse  with  the  natives  of  Nu- 
kuheva  and  Tior,  I  had  found  that  the  present  of  a 
small  piece  of  tobacco  would  have  rendered  any  of  them 
devoted  to  my  service.  Was  this  act  of  the  chief  a 
token  of  his  enmity?  Typee  or  Happar?  I  asked  within 
myself.  I  started,  for  Lt  the  same  moment  this  identical 
question  was  asked  by  the  strange  being  before  me.  I 
turned  to  Toby;  the  flickering  light  of  a  native  taper 
showed  me  his  countenance  pale  with  trepidation  at  this 
fatal  question.  I  paused  for  a  second,  and  I  know  not 
by  what  impulse  it  was  that  I  answered  "Typee."  The 
piece  of  dusky  statuary  nodded  in  approval,  and  then 
murmured  "Motarkee!"  —  "Motarkee,"  said  I,  without 
further  hesitation  —  "Typee  motarkee." 


TYPEE    OR    HAPPAR?  93 

What  a  transition!  The  dark  figures  around  us  leaped 
to  their  feet,  clapped  their  hands  in  transport,  and 
shouted  again  and  again  the  talismanic  syllables,  the 
utterance  of  which  appeared  to  have  settled  everything. 

When  this  commotion  had  a  little  subsided,  the  princi 
pal  chief  squatted  once  more  before  me,  and  throwing 
himself  into  a  sudden  rage,  poured  fourth  a  string  of 
philippics,  which  I  was  at  no  loss  to  understand,  from 
the  frequent  recurrence  of  the  word  Happar,  as  being 
directed  against  the  natives  of  the  adjoining  valley.  In 
all  these  denunciations  my  companion  and  I  acquiesced, 
while  we  extolled  the  character  of  the  warlike  Typees. 
To  be  sure  our  panegyrics  were  somewhat  laconic,  con 
sisting  in  the  repetition  of  that  name,  united  with  the 
potent  adjective  "motarkee."  But  this  was  sufficient, 
and  served  to  conciliate  the  good  will  of  the  natives, 
with  whom  our  congeniality  of  sentiment  on  this  point 
did  more  towards  inspiring  a  friendly  feeling  than  any 
thing  else  that  could  have  happened. 

At  last  the  wrath  of  the  chief  evaporated,  and  in  a  few 
moments  he  was  as  placid  as  ever.  Laying  his  hand 
upon  his  breast,  he  now  gave  me  to  understand  that  his 
name  was  "Mehevi,"  and  that,  in  return,  he  wished  me 
to  communicate  my  appellation.  I  hesitated  for  an  in 
stant,  thinking  that  it  might  be  difficult  for  him  to  pro 
nounce  my  real  name,  and  then  with  the  most  praise 
worthy  intentions  intimated  that  I  was  known  as  "Tom." 
But  I  could  not  have  made  a  worse  selection;  the  chief 
could  not  master  it;  "Tommo,"  "Tomma,"  "Tommee," 
everything  but  plain  "Tom."  As  he  persisted  in  gar 
nishing  the  word  with  an  additional  syllable,  I  com 
promised  the  matter  with  him  at  the  word  "Tommo," 
and  by  that  name  I  went  during  the  entire  period  of  my 
stay  in  the  valley.  The  same  proceeding  was  gone 


94  TYPEE       . 

through  with  Toby,  whose  mellifluous  appellation  was 
more  easily  caught. 

An  exchange  of  names  is  equivalent  to  a  ratification 
of  good  will  and  amity  among  these  simple  people;  and 
as  we  were  aware  of  this  fact,  we  were  delighted  that 
it  had  taken  place  on  the  present  occasion. 

Reclining  upon  our  mats,  we  now  held  a  kind  of 
levee,  giving  audience  to  successive  troops  of  the  natives, 
who  introduced  themselves  to  us  by  pronouncing  their 
respective  names,  and  retired  in  high  good  humour  on 
receiving  ours  in  return.  During  this  ceremony  the 
greatest  merriment  prevailed,  nearly  every  announce 
ment  on  the  part  of  the  islanders  being  followed  by  a 
fresh  sally  of  gayety,  which  induced  me  to  believe  that 
some  of  them  at  least  were  innocently  diverting  the 
company  at  our  expense,  by  bestowing  upon  themselves 
a  string  of  absurd  titles,  of  the  humour  of  which  we 
were  of  course  entirely  ignorant. 

All  this  occupied  about  an  hour,  when  the  throng  hav 
ing  a  little  diminished,  I  turned  to  Mehevi  and  gave  him 
to  understand  that  we  were  in  need  of  food  and  sleep. 
Immediately  the  attentive  chief  addressed  a  few  words 
to  one  of  the  crowd,  who  disappeared,  and  returned  in  a 
few  moments  with  a  calabash  of  "poee-poee,"  and  two  or 
three  young  cocoa-nuts  stripped  of  their  husks,  and  with 
their  shells  partly  broken.  We  both  of  us  forthwith 
placed  one  of  these  natural  goblets  to  our  lips,  and 
drained  it  in  a  moment  of  the  refreshing  draught  it 
contained.  The  poee-poee  was  then  placed  before  us, 
and  even  famished  as  I  was,  I  paused  to  consider  in 
what  manner  to  convey  it  to  my  mouth. 

This  staple  article  of  food  among  the  Marquese 
islanders  is  manufactured  from  the  produce  of  the  bread 
fruit  tree.  It  somewhat  resembles  in  its  plastic  nature 


TYPEE    OR    HAPPAR?  95 

our  bookbinder's  paste,  is  of  a  yellow  colour,  and  some 
what  tart  to  the  taste. 

Such  was  the  dish  the  merits  of  which  I  was  now 
eager  to  discuss.  I  eyed  it  wistfully  for  a  moment,  and 
then,  unable  any  longer  to  stand  on  ceremony,  plunged 
my  hand  into  the  yielding  mass,  and  to  the  boisterous 
mirth  of  the  natives  drew  it  forth  laden  with  the  poee- 
poee,  which  adhered  in  lengthy  strings  to  every  finger. 
So  stubborn  was  its  consistency  that  in  conveying  my 
heavily  freighted  hand  to  my  mouth,  the  connecting 
links  almost  raised  the  calabash  from  the  mats  on  which 
it  had  been  placed.  This  display  of  awkwardness  —  in 
which,  by  the  by,  Toby  kept  me  company  —  convulsed 
the  bystanders  with  uncontrollable  laughter. 

As  soon  as  their  merriment  had  somewhat  subsided, 
Mehevi,  motioning  us  to  be  attentive,  dipped  the  fore 
finger  of  his  right  hand  in  the  dish,  and  giving  it  a 
rapid  and  scientific  twirl,  drew  it  out  coated  smoothly 
with  the  preparation.  With  a  second  peculiar  flourish 
he  prevented  the  poee-poee  from  dropping  to  the  ground 
as  he  raised  it  to  his  mouth,  into  which  the  finger  was 
inserted  and  drawn  forth  perfectly  free  from  any  adhe 
sive  matter.  This  performance  was  evidently  intended 
for  our  instruction;  so  I  again  essayed  the  feat  on  the 
principles  inculcated,  but  with  very  ill  success. 

A  starving  man,  however,  little  heeds  conventional 
proprieties,  especially  on  a  South-Sea  Island,  and  accord 
ingly  Toby  and  I  partook  of  the  dish  after  our  own 
clumsy  fashion,  beplastering  our  faces  all  over  with  the 
glutinous  compound,  and  daubing  our  hands  nearly  to 
the  wrist.  This  kind  of  food  is  by  no  means  disagree 
able  to  the  palate  of  a  European,  though  at  first  the 
mode  of  eating  it  may  be.  For  my  own  part,  after  the 
lapse  of  a  few  days  I  became  accustomed  to  its  singular 
flavour,  and  I  grew  remarkably  fond  of  it. 


96  TYPEE 

So  much  for  the  first  course;  several  other  dishes  fol 
lowed  it,  some  of  which  were  positively  delicious.  We 
concluded  our  banquet  by  tossing  off  the  contents  of  two 
more  young  cocoa-nuts,  after  which  we  regaled  ourselves 
with  the  soothing  fumes  of  tobacco,  inhaled  from  a 
quaintly  carved  pipe  which  passed  round  the  circle. 

During  the  repast,  the  natives  eyed  us  with  intense 
curiosity,  observing  our  minutest  motions,  and  appearing 
to  discover  abundant  matter  for  comment  in  the  most 
trifling  occurrence.  Their  surprise  mounted  the  highest 
when  we  began  to  remove  our  uncomfortable  garments, 
which  were  saturated  with  rain.  They  scanned  the 
whiteness  of  our  limbs,  and  seemed  utterly  unable  to 
account  for  the  contrast  they  presented  to  the  swarthy 
hue  of  our  faces,  embrowned  from  a  six  months'  ex 
posure  to  the  scorching  sun  of  the  Line.  They  felt  our 
skin,  much  in  the  same  way  that  a  silk  mercer  would 
handle  a  remarkably  fine  piece  of  satin;  and  some  of 
them  went  so  far  in  their  investigation  as  to  apply  the 
olfactory  organ. 

Their  singular  behaviour  almost  led  me  to  imagine 
that  they  never  before  had  beheld  a  white  man ;  but  a  few 
moments'  reflection  convinced  me  that  this  could  not 
have  been  the  case;  and  a  more  satisfactory  reason 
for  their  conduct  has  since  suggested  itself  to  my  mind. 
Deterred  by  the  frightful  stories  related  of  its  inhabi 
tants,  ships  never  enter  this  bay,  while  their  hostile  re 
lations  with  the  tribes  in  the  adjoining  valleys  prevent 
the  Typees  from  visiting  that  section  of  the  island  where 
vessels  occasionally  lie.  At  long  intervals,  however,  some 
intrepid  captain  will  touch  on  the  skirts  of  the  bay, 
with  two  or  three  armed  boats'  crews,  and  accompanied 
by  an  interpreter.  The  natives  who  live  near  the  sea 
descry  the  strangers  long  before  they  reach  their  waters, 


TYPEE    OR    HAPPAR?  97 

and  aware  of  the  purpose  for  which  they  come,  pro 
claim  loudly  the  news  of  their  approach.  By  a  species 
of  vocal  telegraph  the  intelligence  reaches  the  inmost 
recesses  of  the  vale  in  an  inconceivably  short  space  of 
time,  drawing  nearly  its  whole  population  down  to  the 
beach  laden  with  every  variety  of  fruit.  The  interpre 
ter,  who  is  invariably  a  "tabooed  kanaka,"  leaps  ashore 
with  the  goods  intended  for  barter,  while  the  boats,  with 
their  oars  shipped,  and  every  man  on  his  thwart,  lie 
just  outside  the  surf,  heading  off  from  the  shore,  in 
readiness  at  the  first  untoward  event  to  escape  to  the 
open  sea.  As  soon  as  the  traffic  is  concluded,  one  of  the 
boats  pulls  in  under  cover  of  the  muskets  of  the  others, 
the  fruit  is  quickly  thrown  into  her,  and  the  transient 
visitors  precipitately  retire  from  what  they  justly  con 
sider  so  dangerous  a  vicinity. 

The  intercourse  occurring  with  Europeans  being  so 
restricted,  no  wonder  that  the  inhabitants  of  the  valley 
manifested  so  much  curiosity  with  regard  to  us,  appear 
ing  as  we  did  among  them  under  such  singular  circum 
stances.  I  have  no  doubt  that  we  were  the  first  white 
men  who  ever  penetrated  thus  far  back  into  their  terri 
tories,  or  at  least  the  first  who  had  ever  descended  from 
the  head  of  the  vale.  What  had  brought  us  thither 
must  have  appeared  a  complete  mystery  to  them,  and 
from  our  ignorance  of  the  language  it  was  impossible 
for  us  to  enlighten  them.  In  answer  to  inquiries  which 
the  eloquence  of  their  gestures  enabled  us  to  compre 
hend,  all  that  we  could  reply  was  that  we  had  come  from 
Nukuheva,  a  place,  be  it  remembered,  with  which  they 
were  at  open  war.  This  intelligence  appeared  to  affect 
them  with  the  most  lively  emotions.  "Nukuheva  mo- 
tarkee?"  they  asked.  Of  course  we  replied  most  ener 
getically  in  the  negative, 


98  TYPEE 

Then  they  plied  us  with  a  thousand  questions,  of 
which  we  could  understand  nothing  more  than  that 
they  had  reference  to  the  recent  movements  of  the 
French,  against  whom  they  seemed  to  cherish  the  most 
fierce  hatred.  So  eager  were  they  to  obtain  informa 
tion  on  this  point  that  they  still  continued  to  propound 
their  queries  long  after  we  had  shown  that  we  were 
utterly  unable  to  answer  them.  Occasionally  we  caught 
some  indistinct  idea  of  their  meaning,  when  we  would 
endeavour  by  every  method  in  our  power  to  communi 
cate  the  desired  intelligence.  At  such  times  their  gratifi 
cation  was  boundless,  and  they  would  redouble  their 
efforts  to  make  us  comprehend  them  more  perfectly. 
But  all  in  vain ;  and  in  the  end  they  looked  at  us  despair 
ingly,  as  if  we  were  the  receptacles  of  invaluable  infor 
mation  but  how  to  come  at  it  they  knew  not. 

After  a  while  the  group  around  us  gradually  dispersed, 
and  we  were  left  about  midnight  (as  we  conjectured) 
with  those  who  appeared  to  be  permanent  residents  of 
the  house.  These  individuals  now  provided  us  with  fresh 
mats  to  lie  upon,  covered  us  with  several  folds  of  tappa, 
and  then  extinguishing  the  tapers  that  had  been  burning, 
threw  themselves  down  beside  us,  and  after  a  little  desul 
tory  conversation  were  soon  sound  asleep. 


CHAPTER   XI 
MORNING    VISITORS 

VARIOUS  and  conflicting  were  the  thoughts  which  op 
pressed  me  during  the  silent  hours  that  followed  the 
events  related  in  the  preceding  chapter.  Toby,  wearied 
with  the  fatigues  of  the  day,  slumbered  heavily  by  my 
side;  but  the  pain  under  which  I  was  suffering  effectu 
ally  prevented  my  sleeping,  and  I  remained  distressingly 
alive  to  all  the  fearful  circumstances  of  our  present  situ 
ation.  Was  it  possible  that,  after  all  our  vicissitudes, 
we  were  really  in  the  terrible  valley  of  Typee,  and  at  the 
mercy  of  its  inmates,  a  fierce  and  unrelenting  tribe  of 
savages? 

Typee  or  Happar?  I  shuddered  when  I  reflected  that 
there  was  no  longer  any  room  for  doubt;  and  that,  be 
yond  all  hope  of  escape,  we  were  now  placed  in  those 
very  circumstances  from  the  bare  thought  of  which  I  had 
recoiled  with  such  abhorrence  but  a  few  days  before. 
What  might  not  be  our  fearful  destiny?  To  be  sure,  as 
yet  we  had  been  treated  with  no  violence,  nay,  had  been 
even  kindly  and  hospitably  entertained.  But  what  de 
pendence  could  be  placed  upon  the  fickle  passions  which 
sway  the  bosom  of  a  savage?  His  inconstancy  and 
treachery  are  proverbial.  Might  it  not  be  that  beneath 
these  fair  appearances  the  islanders  covered  some  perfid 
ious  design,  and  that  their  friendly  reception  of  us  might 
only  precede  some  horrible  catastrophe?  How  strongly 
did  these  forebodings  spring  up  in  my  mind  as  I  lay  rest- 

99 


ioo  TYPEE 

lessly  upon  a  couch  of  mats,  surrounded  by  the  dimly 
revealed  forms  of  those  whom  f  so  greatly  dreaded! 

From  the  excitement  of  these  fearful  thoughts  I  sank 
towards  morning  into  an  uneasy  slumber;  and  on  awak 
ing,  with  a  start,  in  the  midst  of  an  appalling  dream, 
looked  up  into  the  eager  countenances  of  a  number  of 
the  natives,  who  were  bending  over  me. 

It  was  broad  day,  and  the  house  was  nearly  filled  with 
young  females,  fancifully  decorated  with  flowers,  who 
gazed  upon  me  as  I  rose  with  faces  in  which  childish 
delight  and  curiosity  were  vividly  portrayed.  After 
waking  Toby,  they  seated  themselves  round  us  on  the 
mats  and  gave  full  play  to  that  prying  inquisitiveness 
which  time  out  of  mind  has  been  attributed  to  the  ador 
able  sex. 

As  these  unsophisticated  young  creatures  were  at 
tended  by  no  jealous  duennas,  their  proceedings  were 
altogether  informal,  and  void  of  artificial  restraint.  Long 
and  minute  was  the  investigation  with  which  they  hon 
oured  us,  and  so  uproarious  their  mirth  that  I  felt  in 
finitely  sheepish;  and  Toby  was  immeasurably  outraged 
at  their  familiarity. 

These  lively  young  ladies  were  at  the  same  time  won 
derfully  polite  and  humane;  fanning  aside  the  insects 
that  occasionally  lighted  on  our  brows;  presenting  us 
with  food ;  and  compassionately  regarding  me  in  the  midst 
of  my  afflictions.  But  in  spite  of  all  their  blandishments, 
my  feelings  of  propriety  were  exceedingly  shocked,  for  I 
could  not  but  consider  them  as  having  overstepped  the 
due  limits  of  female  decorum. 

Having  diverted  themselves  to  their  hearts'  content, 
our  young  visitants  now  withdrew,  and  gave  place  to 
successive  troops  of  the  other  sex,  who  continued  flock 
ing  towards  the  house  until  near  noon,  by  which  time 


MORNING    VISITORS  101 

I  have  no  doubt  that  the  greater  part  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  valley  had  bathed  themselves  in  the  light  of  our 
benignant  countenances. 

At  last,  when  their  numbers  began  to  diminish,  a 
superb-looking  warrior  stooped  the  towering  plumes  of 
his  head-dress  beneath  the  low  portal  and  entered  the 
house.  I  saw  at  once  that  he  was  some  distinguished 
personage,  the  natives  regarding  him  with  the  utmost 
deference,  and  making  room  for  him  as  he  approached. 
His  aspect  was  imposing.  The  splendid  long  drooping 
tail-feathers  of  the  tropical  bird,  thickly  interspersed 
with  the  gaudy  plumage  of  the  cock,  were  disposed  in 
an  immense  upright  semicircle  upon  his  head,  their  lower 
extremities  being  fixed  in  a  crescent  of  guinea-beads 
which  spanned  the  forehead.  Around  his  neck  were  sev 
eral  enormous  necklaces  of  boars'  tusks,  polished  like 
ivory,  and  disposed  in  such  a  manner  that  the  longest 
and  largest  were  upon  his  capacious  chest.  Thrust  for 
ward  through  the  large  apertures  in  his  ears  were  two 
small  and  finely  shaped  sperm-whale  teeth,  presenting 
their  cavities  in  front,  stuffed  with  freshly  plucked 
leaves,  and  curiously  wrought  at  the  other  end  into 
strange  little  images  and  devices.  These  barbaric  trinkets, 
garnished  in  this  manner  at  their  open  extremities,  and 
tapering  and  curving  around  to  a  point  behind  the  ear, 
resembled  not  a  little  a  pair  of  cornucopias. 

The  loins  of  the  warrior  were  girt  about  with  heavy 
folds  of  dark-coloured  tappa,  hanging  before  and  behind 
in  clusters  of  braided  tassels,  while  anklets  and  bracelets 
of  curling  human  hair  completed  his  unique  costume. 
In  his  right  hand  he  grasped  a  beautifully  carved  paddle- 
spear,  nearly  fifteen  feet  in  length,  made  of  the  bright 
koar-wood,  one  end  sharply  pointed,  and  the  other  flat 
tened  like  an  oar-blade.  Hanging  obliquely  from  his 


102  TYPEE 

girdle  by  a  loop  of  sinnate  was  a  richly  decorated  pipe; 
the  slender  reed  forming  its  stem  was  coloured  with  a  red 
pigment,  and  round  it,  as  well  as  the  idol-bowl,  fluttered 
little  streamers  of  the  thinnest  tappa. 

But  that  which  was  most  remarkable  in  the  appear 
ance  of  the  splendid  islander  was  the  elaborate  tattoo 
ing  displayed  on  every  noble  limb.  All  imaginable  lines 
and  curves  and  figures  were  delineated  over  his  whole 
body,  and  in  their  grotesque  variety  and  infinite  pro 
fusion  I  could  only  compare  them  to  the  crowded 
groupings  of  quaint  patterns  we  sometimes  see  in  costly 
pieces  of  lace-work.  The  most  simple  and  remarkable 
of  all  these  ornaments  was  that  which  decorated  the 
countenance  of  the  chief.  Two  broad  stripes  of  tattoo 
ing,  diverging  from  the  centre  of  his  shaven  crown,  ob 
liquely  crossed  both  eyes  —  staining  the  lids  —  to  a  little 
below  either  ear,  where  they  united  with  another  stripe 
which  swept  in  a  straight  line  along  the  lips  and  formed 
the  base  of  the  triangle.  The  warrior,  from  the  excel 
lence  of  his  physical  proportions,  might  certainly  have 
been  regarded  as  one  of  Nature's  noblemen,  and  the  lines 
drawn  upon  his  face  may  possibly  have  denoted  his 
exalted  rank. 

This  warlike  personage,  upon  entering  the  house, 
seated  himself  at  some  distance  from  the  spot  where 
Toby  and  myself  reposed,  while  the  rest  of  the  savages 
looked  alternately  from  us  to  him,  as  if  in  expectation 
of  something  they  were  disappointed  in  not  perceiving. 
Regarding  the  chief  attentively,  I  thought  his  linea 
ments  appeared  familiar  to  me.  As  soon  as  his  full  face 
was  turned  upon  me,  and  I  again  beheld  its  extraordi 
nary  embellishment,  and  met  the  strange  gaze  to  which  I 
had  been  subjected  the  preceding  night,  I  immediately, 
in  spite  of  the  alteration  in  his  appearance,  recognised 


MORNING   VISITORS  103 

the  noble  Mehevi.  On  addressing  him,  he  advanced  at 
once  in  the  most  cordial  manner,  and,  greeting  me 
warmly,  seemed  to  enjoy  not  a  little  the  effect  his  bar 
baric  costume  had  produced  upon  me. 

I  forthwith  determined  to  secure,  if  possible,  the  good 
will  of  this  individual,  as  I  easily  perceived  he  was  a 
man  of  great  authority  in  his  tribe,  and  one  who  might 
exert  a  powerful  influence  upon  our  subsequent  fate. 
In  the  endeavour  I  was  not  repulsed;  for  nothing  could 
surpass  the  friendliness  he  manifested  towards  both 
my  companion  and  myself.  He  extended  his  sturdy 
limbs  by  our  side  and  endeavoured  to  make  us  compre 
hend  the  full  extent  of  the  kindly  feelings  by  which  he 
was  actuated.  The  almost  insuperable  difficulty  in  com 
municating  to  one  another  our  ideas  affected  the  chief 
with  no  little  mortification.  He  evinced  a  great  desire 
to  be  enlightened  with  regard  to  the  customs  and  pe 
culiarities  of  the  far-off  country  we  had  left  behind  us, 
and  to  which  under  the  name  of  Maneeka  he  frequently 
alluded. 

But  that  which  more  than  any  other  subject  engaged 
his  attention  was  the  late  proceedings  of  the  "France," 
as  he  called  the  French,  in  the  neighbouring  bay  of  Nu- 
kuheva.  This  seemed  a  never-ending  theme  with  him, 
and  one  concerning  which  he  was  never  weary  of  inter 
rogating  us.  All  the  information  we  succeeded  in  im 
parting  to  him  on  this  subject  was  little  more  than  that 
we  had  seen  six  men-of-war  lying  in  the  hostile  bay  at 
the  time  we  had  left  it.  When  he  received  this  intelli 
gence,  Mehevi,  by  the  aid  of  his  fingers,  went  through  a 
long  numerical  calculation,  as  if  estimating  the  number 
of  Frenchmen  the  squadron  might  contain. 

It  was  just  after  employing  his  faculties  in  this  way 
that  he  happened  to  notice  the  swelling  in  my  limb. 


104  TYPEE 

He  immediately  examined  it  with  the  utmost  attention, 
and  after  doing  so  despatched  a  boy  who  happened  to  be 
standing  by  with  some  message.  After  the  lapse  of  a 
few  moments  the  stripling  re-entered  the  house  with  an 
aged  islander,  who  might  have  been  taken  for  old  Hip 
pocrates  himself.  His  head  was  as  bald  as  the  polished 
surface  of  a  cocoa-nut  shell,  which  article  it  precisely 
resembled  in  smoothness  and  colour,  while  a  long  silvery 
beard  swept  almost  to  his  girdle  of  bark.  Encircling  his 
temples  was  a  bandeau  of  the  twisted  leaves  of  the  Omoo- 
tree,  pressed  closely  over  the  brows  to  shield  his  feeble 
vision  from  the  glare  of  the  sun.  His  tottering  steps 
were  supported  by  a  long  slim  staff,  resembling  the 
wand  with  which  a  theatrical  magician  appears  on  the 
stage,  and  in  one  hand  he  carried  a  freshly  plaited  fan 
of  the  green  leaflets  of  the  cocoa-nut  tree.  A  flowing 
robe  of  tappa,  knotted  over  the  shoulder,  hung  loosely 
round  his  stooping  form  and  heightened  the  venerable- 
ness  of  his  aspect. 

Mehevi,  saluting  this  old  gentleman,  motioned  him  to 
a  seat  between  us,  and  then  uncovering  my  limb,  desired 
him  to  examine  it.  The  leech  gazed  intently  from  me 
to  Toby,  and  then  proceeded  to  business.  After  dili 
gently  observing  the  ailing  member,  he  commenced 
manipulating  it;  and  on  the  supposition  probably  that 
the  complaint  had  deprived  the  leg  of  all  sensation, 
began  to  pinch  and  hammer  it  in  such  a  manner  that  I 
absolutely  roared  with  the  pain.  Thinking  that  I  was 
as  capable  of  making  an  application  of  thumps  and 
pinches  to  the  part  as  any  one  else,  I  endeavoured  to 
resist  this  species  of  medical  treatment.  But  it  was  not 
so  easy  a  matter  to  get  out  of  the  clutches  of  the  old 
wizard;  he  fastened  on  the  unfortunate  limb  as  if  it 
were  something  for  which  he  had  been  long  seeking,  and 


MORNING    VISITORS  105 

muttering  some  kind  of  incantation  continued  his  dis 
cipline,  pounding  it  after  a  fashion  that  set  me  well 
nigh  crazy;  while  Mehevi,  upon  the  same  principle 
which  prompts  an  affectionate  mother  to  hold  a  strug 
gling  child  in  a  dentist's  chair,  restrained  me  in  his 
powerful  grasp,  and  actually  encouraged  the  wretch  in 
his  infliction  of  torture. 

Almost  frantic  with  rage  and  pain,  I  yelled  like  a 
bedlamite,  while  Toby,  throwing  himself  into  all  the 
attitudes  of  a  posture-master,  vainly  endeavoured  to  ex 
postulate  with  the  natives  by  signs  and  gestures.  To 
have  looked  at  my  companion,  as,  sympathizing  with  my 
sufferings,  he  strove  to  put  an  end  to  them,  one  would 
have  thought  that  he  was  the  deaf  and  dumb  alphabet 
incarnated.  Whether  my  tormentor  yielded  to  Toby's 
entreaties,  or  paused  from  sheer  exhaustion,  I  do  not 
know;  but  all  at  once  he  ceased  his  operations,  and  at 
the  same  time  the  chief  relinquishing  his  hold  upon  me, 
I  fell  back,  faint  and  breathless  with  the  agony  I  had 
endured. 

iVIy  unfortunate  limb  was  now  left  much  in  the  same 
condition  as  a  rump-steak  after  undergoing  the  castigat 
ing  process  which  precedes  cooking.  My  physician, 
having  recovered  from  the  fatigues  of  his  exertions,  as 
if  anxious  to  make  amends  for  the  pain  to  which  he  had 
subjected  me,  now  took  some  herbs  out  of  a  little 
wallet  that  was  suspended  from  his  wrist,  and  moisten 
ing  them  in  water,  applied  them  to  the  inflamed  part, 
stooping  over  it  at  the  same  time,  and  either  whispering 
a  spell  or  having  a  little  confidential  chat  with  some 
imaginary  demon  located  in  the  calf  of  my  leg.  My 
limb  was  now  swathed  in  leafy  bandages,  and,  grate 
ful  to  Providence  for  the  cessation  of  hostilities,  I  was 
suffered  to  rest. 


io6  TYPEE 

Mehevi  shortly  after  rose  to  depart;  but  before  he 
went  he  spoke  authoritatively  to  one  of  the  natives 
whom  he  addressed  as  Kory-Kory;  and  from  the  little  I 
could  understand  of  what  took  place,  pointed  him  out 
to  me  as  a  man  whose  peculiar  business  thenceforth 
would  be  to  attend  upon  my  person.  I  am  not  certain 
that  I  comprehended  as  much  as  this  at  the  time,  but 
the  subsequent  conduct  of  my  trusty  body-servant  fully 
assured  me  that  such  must  have  been  the  case. 

I  could  not  but  be  amused  at  the  manner  in  which  the 
chief  addressed  me  upon  this  occasion,  talking  to  me 
for  at  least  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  as  calmly  as  if  I 
could  understand  every  word  that  he  said.  I  remarked 
this  peculiarity  very  often  afterwards  in  many  other  of 
the  islanders. 

Mehevi  having  now  departed,  and  the  family  physi 
cian  having  likewise  made  his  exit,  we  were  left  about 
sunset  with  the  ten  or  twelve  natives,  who  by  this  time 
I  had  ascertained  composed  the  household  of  which 
Toby  and  I  were  members.  As  the  dwelling  to  which 
we  had  been  first  introduced  was  the  place  of  my  perma 
nent  abode  while  I  remained  in  the  valley,  and  as  I  was 
necessarily  placed  upon  the  most  intimate  footing  with 
its  occupants,  I  may  as  well  here  enter  into  a  little 
description  of  it  and  its  inhabitants.  This  description 
will  apply  also  to  nearly  all  the  other  dwelling-places 
in  the  vale,  and  will  furnish  some  idea  of  the  generality 
of  the  natives. 

Near  one  side  of  the  valley,  and  about  midway  up  the 
ascent  of  a  rather  abrupt  rise  of  ground  waving  with 
the  richest  verdure,  a  number  of  large  stones  were  laid  in 
successive  courses,  to  the  height  of  nearly  eight  feet,  and 
disposed  in  such  a  manner  that  their  level  surface  corre 
sponded  in  shape  with  the  habitation  which  was  perched 


MORNING    VISITORS 

upon  it.  A  narrow  space,  however,  was  reserved  in 
front  of  the  dwelling,  upon  the  summit  of  this  pile  of 
stones  (called  by  the  natives  a  "pi-pi"),  which,  being 
enclosed  by  a  little  pocket  of  canes,  gave  it  somewhat 
the  appearance  of  a  verandah.  The  frame  of  the  house 
was  constructed  of  large  bamboos  planted  upright,  and 
secured  together  at  intervals  by  transverse  stalks  of  the 
light  wood  of  the  hibiscus,  lashed  with  thongs  of  bark. 
The  rear  of  the  tenement  —  built  up  with  successive 
ranges  of  cocoa-nut  boughs  bound  one  upon  another, 
with  their  leaflets  cunningly  woven  together  —  inclined 
a  little  from  the  vertical,  and  extended  from  the  extreme 
edge  of  the  "pi-pi"  to  about  twenty  feet  from  its  surface; 
whence  the  shelving  roof  —  thatched  with  the  long  taper 
ing  leaves  of  the  palmetto  —  sloped  steeply  off  to  within 
about  five  feet  of  the  floor,  leaving  the  eaves  drooping 
with  tassel-like  appendages  over  the  front  of  the  habita 
tion.  This  was  constructed  of  light  and  elegant  canes, 
in  a  kind  of  open  screen  work,  tastefully  adorned  with 
bindings  of  variegated  sinnate,  which  served  to  hold 
together  its  various  parts.  The  sides  of  the  house  were 
similarly  built,  thus  presenting  three  quarters  for  the 
circulation  of  the  air,  while  the  whole  was  impervious  to 
the  rain. 

In  length  this  picturesque  building  was  perhaps  twelve 
yards,  while  in  breadth  it  could  not  have  exceeded  as 
many  feet.  So  much  for  the  exterior;  which  with  its 
wire-like  reed-twisted  sides  not  a  little  reminded  me  of 
an  immense  aviary. 

Stooping  a  little,  you  passed  through  a  narrow  aper 
ture  in  its  front;  and  facing  you,  on  entering,  lay  two 
long,  perfectly  straight,  and  well-polished  trunks  of  the 
cocoa-nut  tree,  extending  the  full  length  of  the  dwell 
ing,  one  of  them  placed  closely  against  the  rear,  and 


io8  TYPEE 

the  other  lying  parallel  with  it  some  two  yards  distant, 
the  interval  between  them  being  spread  with  a  multi 
tude  of  gayly  worked  mats,  nearly  all  of  a  different  pat 
tern.  This  space  formed  the  common  couch  and  loung 
ing  place  of  the  natives,  answering  the  purpose  of  a 
divan  in  Oriental  countries.  Here  would  they  slumber 
through  the  hours  of  the  night,  and  recline  luxuriously 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  day.  The  remainder  of 
the  floor  presented  only  the  cool  shining  surfaces  of  the 
large  stones  of  which  the  "pi-pi"  was  composed. 

From  the  ridge-pole  of  the  house  hung  suspended  a 
number  of  large  packages  enveloped  in  coarse  tappa, 
some  of  which  contained  festival  dresses,  and  various 
other  matters  of  the  wardrobe,  held  in  high  estimation. 
These  were  easily  accessible  by  means  of  a  line  which, 
passing  over  the  ridge-pole,  had  one  end  attached  to  a 
bundle,  while  with  the  other,  which  led  to  the  side  of 
the  dwelling  and  was  there  secured,  the  package  could 
be  lowered  or  elevated  at  pleasure. 

Against  the  farther  wall  of  the  house  were  arranged 
in  tasteful  figures  a  variety  of  spears  and  javelins  and 
other  implements  of  savage  warfare.  Outside  of  the 
habitation,  and  built  upon  the  piazza-like  area  in  its 
front,  was  a  little  shed  used  as  a  sort  of  larder  or  pantry, 
in  which  were  stored  various  articles  of  domestic  use 
and  convenience.  A  few  yards  from  the  pi-pi  was  a 
large  shed  built  of  cocoa-nut  boughs,  were  the  proc 
ess  of  preparing  the  "poee-poee"  was  carried  on  and 
all  culinary  operations  attended  to. 

Thus  much  for  the  house  and  its  appurtenances;  and 
it  will  be  readily  acknowledged  that  a  more  commodious 
and  appropriate  dwelling  for  the  climate  and  the  people 
could  not  possibly  be  devised.  It  was  cool,  free  to 
admit  the  air,  scrupulously  clean,  and  elevated  above 
the  dampness  and  impurities  of  the  ground. 


MORNING   VISITORS  109 

But  now  to  sketch  the  inmates;  and  here  I  claim  for 
my  tried  servitor  and  faithful  valet  Kory-Kory  the 
precedence  of  a  first  description.  As  his  character  will 
be  gradually  unfolded  in  the  course  of  my  narrative,  I 
shall  for  the  present  content  myself  with  delineating  his 
personal  appearance.  Kory-Kory,  though  the  most  de 
voted  and  best-natured  serving-man  in  the  world,  was, 
alas!  a  hideous  object  to  look  upon.  He  was  some 
twenty-five  years  of  age,  and  about  six  feet  in  height, 
robust  and  well  made,  and  of  the  most  extraordinary 
aspect.  His  head  was  carefully  shaven,  with  the  excep 
tion  of  two  circular  spots,  about  the  size  of  a  dollar, 
near  the  top  of  the  cranium,  where  the  hair,  permitted 
to  grow  of  an  amazing  length,  was  twisted  up  in  two 
prominent  knots  that  gave  him  the  appearance  of  being 
decorated  with  a  pair  of  horns.  His  beard,  plucked  out 
by  the  roots  from  every  other  part  of  his  face,  was  suf 
fered  to  droop  in  hairy  pendants,  two  of  which  garnished 
his  upper  lip  and  an  equal  number  hung  from  the 
extremity  of  his  chin. 

Kory-Kory,  with  a  view  of  improving  the  handiwork 
of  nature,  and  perhaps  prompted  by  a  desire  to  add  to 
the  engaging  expression  of  his  countenance,  had  seen 
fit  to  embellish  his  face  with  three  broad  longitudinal 
stripes  of  tattooing,  which  like  those  country  roads 
that  go  straight  forward  in  defiance  of  all  obstacles, 
crossed  his  nasal  organ,  descended  into  the  hollow  of  his 
eyes,  and  even  skirted  the  borders  of  his  mouth.  Each 
completely  spanned  his  physiognomy,  one  extending  in 
a  line  with  his  eyes,  another  crossing  his  face  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  nose,  and  the  third  sweeping  along  his 
lips  from  ear  to  ear.  His  countenance,  thus  triply 
hooped  as  it  were  with  tattooing,  always  reminded  me 
of  those  unhappy  wretches  whom  I  have  sometimes 


no  TYPEE 

observed  gazing  out  sentimentally  from  behind  the  grated 
bars  of  a  prison  window;  whilst  the  entire  body  of  my 
savage  valet,  covered  all  over  with  representations  of 
birds  and  fishes,  and  a  variety  of  most  unaccountable- 
looking  creatures,  suggested  to  me  the  idea  of  a  pictorial 
museum  of  natural  history,  or  an  illustrated  copy  of 
"Goldsmith's  Animated  Nature." 

But  it  seems  really  heartless  in  me  to  write  thus  of 
the  poor  islander,  whom  I  owe  perhaps  for  his  unremit 
ting  attentions  the  very  existence  I  now  enjoy.  Kory- 
Kory,  I  mean  thee  no  harm  in  what  I  say  in  regard  to  thy 
outward  adornings;  but  they  were  a  little  curious  to  my 
unaccustomed  sight,  and  therefore  I  dilate  upon  them. 
But  to  underrate  or  forget  thy  faithful  services  is  some 
thing  I  could  never  be  guilty  of,  even  in  the  giddiest 
moment  of  my  life. 

The  father  of  my  attached  follower  was  a  native  of 
gigantic  frame,  and  had  once  possessed  prodigious  phys 
ical  powers;  but  the  lofty  form  was  now  yielding  to  the 
inroads  of  time,  though  the  hand  of  disease  seemed  never 
to  have  been  laid  upon  the  aged  warrior.  Marheyo  — 
for  such  was  his  name  —  appeared  to  have  retired  from 
all  active  participation  in  the  affairs  of  the  valley,  sel 
dom  or  never  accompanying  the  natives  in  their  various 
expeditions,  and  employing  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
in  throwing  up  a  little  shed  just  outside  the  house,  up 
on  which  he  was  engaged  to  my  certain  knowledge  for 
four  months  without  appearing  to  make  any  sensible 
advance.  I  suppose  the  old  gentleman  was  in  his  dotage, 
for  he  manifested  in  various  ways  the  characteristics 
which  mark  this  particular  stage  of  life. 

I  remember  in  particular  his  having  a  choice  pair  of 
ear-ornaments,  fabricated  from  the  teeth  of  some  sea- 
monster.  These  he  would  alternately  wear  and  take  off 


MORNING   VISITORS  in 

at  least  fifty  times  in  the  course  of  the  day,  going  and 
coming  from  his  little  hut  on  each  occasion  with  all  the 
tranquillity  imaginable.  Sometimes  slipping  them  through 
the  slits  in  his  ears,  he  would  seize  his  spear  —  which  in 
length  and  slightness  resembled  a  fishing  pole  —  and 
go  stalking  beneath  the  shadows  of  the  neighbouring 
groves,  as  if  about  to  give  a  hostile  meeting  to  some 
cannibal  knight.  But  he  would  soon  return  again,  and 
hiding  his  weapon  under  the  projecting  eaves  of  the 
house  and  rolling  his  clumsy  trinkets  carefully  in  a 
piece  of  tappa,  would  resume  his  more  pacific  opera 
tions  as  quietly  as  if  he  had  never  interrupted  them. 

But  despite  his  eccentricities  Marheyo  was  a  most 
paternal  and  warm-hearted  old  fellow,  and  in  this  par 
ticular  not  a  little  resembled  his  son  Kory-Kory.  The 
mother  of  the  latter  was  the  mistress  of  the  family,  and 
a  notable  housewife  and  a  most  industrious  old  lady 
she  was.  If  she  did  not  understand  the  art  of  making 
jellies,  jams,  custards,  tea-cakes,  and  such  like  trashy 
affairs,  she  was  profoundly  skilled  in  the  mysteries  of 
peparing  "amar,"  "poee-poee,"  and  "kokoo,"  with  other 
substantial  matters.  She  was  a  genuine  busy-body, 
bustling  about  the  house  like  a  country  landlady  at  an 
unexpected  arrival,  forever  giving  the  young  girls  tasks 
to  perform,  which  the  little  huzzies  as  often  neglected, 
poking  into  every  corner,  and  rummaging  over  bundles 
of  old  tappa,  or  making  a  prodigious  clatter  among  the 
calabashes.  Sometimes  she  might  have  been  seen  squat 
ting  upon  her  haunches  in  front  of  a  huge  wooden  basin, 
and  kneading  poee-poee  with  terrific  vehemence,  dashing 
the  stone  pestle  about  as  if  she  would  shiver  the  vessel 
into  fragments;  on  other  occasions  galloping  about  the 
valley  in  search  of  a  particular  kind  of  leaf;  used  in 
some  of  her  recondite  operations,  and  returning  home, 


ii2  TYPEE 

toiling  and  sweating,  with  a  bundle  of  it  under  which  most 
women  would  have  sunk. 

To  tell  the  truth,  Kory-Kory's  mother  was  the  only 
industrious  person  in  all  the  valley  of  Typee;  and  she 
could  not  have  employed  herself  more  actively  had  she 
been  left  an  exceedingly  muscular  and  destitute  widow 
with  an  inordinate  supply  of  young  children,  in  the 
bleakest  part  of  the  civilised  world.  There  was  not 
the  slightest  necessity  for  the  greater  portion  of  the 
labour  performed  by  the  old  lady;  but  she  seemed  to 
work  from  some  irresistible  impulse;  her  limbs  contin 
ually  swaying  to  and  fro,  as  if  there  were  some  inde 
fatigable  engine  concealed  within  her  body  which  kept 
her  in  perpetual  motion. 

Never  suppose  that  she  was  a  termagant  or  a  shrew 
for  all  this;  she  had  the  kindliest  heart  in  the  world, 
and  acted  towards  me  in  particular  in  a  truly  maternal 
manner,  occasionally  putting  some  little  morsel  of  choice 
food  into  my  hand,  some  outlandish  kind  of  savage  sweet 
meat  or  pastry,  like  a  doting  mother  petting  a  sickly 
urchin  with  tarts  and  sugar-plums.  Warm  indeed  are 
my  remembrances  of  the  dear,  good,  affectionate  old 
Tinor! 

Besides  the  individuals  I  have  mentioned,  there  be 
longed  to  the  household  three  young  men,  dissipated, 
good-for-nothing,  roystering  blades  of  savages,  who  were 
either  employed  in  prosecuting  love-affairs  with  the 
maidens  of  the  tribe,  or  grew  boozy  on  "arva"  and 
tobacco  in  the  company  of  congenial  spirits,  the  scape 
graces  of  the  valley. 

Among  the  permanent  inmates  of  the  house  were  like 
wise  several  lovely  damsels,  who  instead  of  thrumming 
pianos  and  reading  novels,  like  more  enlightened 
young  ladies,  substituted  for  these  employments  the 


MORNING   VISITORS  113 

manufacture  of  a  fine  species  of  tappa,  but  for  the 
greater  portion  of  the  time  were  skipping  from  house  to 
house,  gadding  and  gossipping  with  their  acquaintances. 

From  the  rest  of  these,  however,  I  must  except  the 
beauteous  nymph  Fayaway,  who  was  my  peculiar  fa 
vourite.  Her  free  pliant  figure  was  the  very  perfection 
of  female  grace  and  beauty.  Her  complexion  was  a  rich 
and  mantling  olive,  and  when  watching  the  glow  upon 
her  cheeks  I  could  almost  swear  that  beneath  the  trans 
parent  medium  there  lurked  the  blushes  of  a  faint  ver 
milion.  The  face  of  this  girl  was  a  rounded  oval,  and 
each  feature  perfectly  formed.  Her  full  lips,  when 
parted  with  a  smile,  disclosed  teeth  of  a  dazzling  white 
ness;  and  when  her  rosy  mouth  opened  with  a  burst  of 
merriment,  they  looked  like  the  milk-white  seeds  of  the 
"arta,"  a  fruit  of  the  valley,  which,  when  cleft  in  twain, 
shows  them  reposing  in  rows  on  either  side,  embedded 
in  the  rich  and  juicy  pulp.  Her  hair  of  the  deepest 
brown,  parted  irregularly  in  the  middle,  flowed  in  natu 
ral  ringlets  over  her  shoulders.  Gazing  into  the  depths 
of  her  strange  blue  eyes,  when  she  was  in  a  contemplative 
mood,  they  seemed  most  placid  yet  unfathomable;  but 
when  illuminated  by  some  lively  emotion,  they  beamed 
upon  the  beholder  like  stars.  The  hands  of  Fayaway 
were  as  soft  and  delicate  as  those  of  any  countess;  for 
an  entire  exemption  from  rude  labour  marks  the  girl 
hood  and  even  prime  of  a  Typee  woman's  life.  Her 
feet,  though  wholly  exposed,  were  as  diminutive  and 
fairly  shaped  as  those  which  peep  from  beneath  the 
skirts  of  a  Lima  lady's  dress.  The  skin  of  this  young 
creature,  from  continual  ablutions  and  the  use  of  molli 
fying  ointments,  was  inconceivably  smooth  and  soft. 

I  may  succeed,  perhaps,  in  particularising  some  of 
the  individual  features  of  Fayaway's  beauty,  but  that 


ii4  TYPEE 

general  loveliness  of  appearance  which  they  all  contrib 
uted  to  produce  I  will  not  attempt  to  describe.  The 
easy  unstudied  graces  of  a  child  of  nature  like  this, 
breathing  from  infancy  an  atmosphere  of  perpetual 
summer,  and  nurtured  by  the  simple  fruits  of  the  earth; 
enjoying  a  perfect  freedom  from  care  and  anxiety,  and 
removed  effectually  from  all  injurious  tendencies,  strike 
the  eye  in  a  manner  which  cannot  be  portrayed.  This 
picture  is  no  fancy  sketch;  it  is  drawn  from  the  most 
vivid  recollections  of  the  person  delineated. 

Were  I  asked  if  the  beauteous  form  of  Fayaway  was 
altogether  free  from  the  hideous  blemish  of  tattooing, 
I  should  be  constrained  to  answer  that  it  was  not.  But 
the  practitioners  of  the  barbarous  art,  so  remorseless  in 
their  inflictions  upon  the  brawny  limbs  of  the  warriors 
of  the  tribe,  seem  to  be  conscious  that  it  needs  not  the 
resources  of  their  profession  to  augment  the  charms  of 
the  maidens  of  the  vale. 

The  females  are  very  little  embellished  in  this  way, 
and  Fayaway,  with  all  the  other  young  girls  of  her  age, 
were  even  less  so  than  those  of  their  sex  more  advanced 
in  years.  The  reason  of  this  peculiarity  will  be  alluded 
to  hereafter.  All  the  tattooing  that  the  nymph  in  ques 
tion  exhibited  upon  her  person  may  be  easily  described. 
Three  minute  dots,  no  bigger  than  pinheads,  decorated 
either  lip,  and  at  a  little  distance  were  not  at  all  dis 
cernible.  Just  upon  the  fall  of  the  shoulder  were  drawn 
two  parallel  lines  half  an  inch  apart,  and  perhaps  three 
inches  in  length,  the  interval  being  filled  with  delicately 
executed  figures.  These  narrow  bands  of  tattooing, 
thus  placed,  always  reminded  me  of  those  stripes  of  gold 
lace  worn  by  officers  in  undress,  and  which  were  in  lieu 
of  epaulettes  to  denote  their  rank. 

But  I  have  omitted  to  describe  the  dress  worn  by  this 


MORNING   VISITORS  115 

nymph  of  the  valley.  Fayaway  —  I  must  avow  the  fact 
—  for  the  most  part  clung  to  the  primitive  and  summer 
garb  of  Eden.  But  how  becoming  the  costume!  It 
showed  her  fine  figure  to  the  best  possible  advantage; 
and  nothing  could  have  been  better  adapted  to  her  pe 
culiar  style  of  beauty.  On  ordinary  occasions  she  was 
habited  precisely  as  I  have  described  the  two  youthful 
savages  whom  we  had  met  on  first  entering  the  valley. 
At  other  times,  when  rambling  among  the  groves,  or  vis 
iting  at  the  houses  of  her  acquaintances,  she  wore  a 
tunic  of  white  tappa,  reaching  from  her  waist  to  a  little 
below  the  knees;  and  when  exposed  for  any  length  of 
time  to  the  sun,  she  invariably  protected  herself  from  its 
rays  by  a  floating  mantle  of  the  same  material,  loosely 
gathered  about  the  person.  Her  gala  dress  will  be  de 
scribed  hereafter. 

As  the  beauties  of  our  own  land  delight  in  bedecking 
themselves  with  fanciful  articles  of  jewellery,  suspend 
ing  them  from  their  ears,  hanging  them  about  their 
necks,  and  clasping  them  around  their  waists,  so  Fay- 
away  and  her  companions  were  in  the  habit  of  ornament 
ing  themselves  with  similar  appendages. 

Flora  was  their  jeweller.  Sometimes  they  wore  neck 
laces  of  small  carnation  flowers,  strung  like  rubies  upon 
a  fibre  of  tappa,  or  displayed  in  their  ears  a  single  white 
bud,  the  stem  thrust  backward  through  the  aperture, 
and  showing  in  front  the  delicate  petals  folded  together 
in  a  beautiful  sphere,  and  looking  like  a  drop  of  the 
purest  pearl.  Chaplets  too,  resembling  in  their  arrange 
ment  the  strawberry  coronal  worn  by  an  English  peeress, 
and  composed  of  intertwined  leaves  and  blossoms,  often 
crowned  their  temples;  and  bracelets  and  anklets  of  the 
same  tasteful  pattern  were  frequently  to  be  seen.  In 
deed,  the  maidens  of  the  islands  were  passionately  fond 


n6  TYPEE 

of  flowers,  and  never  wearied  of  decorating  their  persons 
with  them,  a  lovely  trait  in  their  character,  and  one  that 
ere  long  will  be  more  fully  alluded  to. 

Though  in  my  eyes,  at  least,  Fayaway  was  indisputably 
the  loveliest  female  I  saw  in  Typee,  yet  the  description 
I  have  given  of  her  will  in  some  measure  apply  to  nearly 
all  the  youthful  portion  of  her  sex  in  the  valley.  Judge 
ye  then,  reader,  what  beautiful  creatures  they  must  have 
been. 


CHAPTER  XII 
TERRORS   IN   THE  TABOO   GROVES 

WHEN  Mehevi  had  departed  from  the  house,  as  re 
lated  in  the  preceding  chapter,  Kory-Kory  commenced 
the  functions  of  the  post  assigned  him.  He  brought  us 
various  kinds  of  food,  and,  as  if  I  were  an  infant,  in 
sisted  upon  feeding  me  with  his  own  hands.  To  this 
procedure  I,  of  course,  most  earnestly  objected,  but  in 
vain;  and  having  laid  a  calabash  of  kokoo  before  me,  he 
washed  his  fingers  in  a  vessel  of  water,  and  then  putting 
his  hand  into  the  dish  and  rolling  the  food  into  little 
balls,  put  them  one  after  another  into  my  mouth.  All  my 
remonstrances  against  this  measure  only  provoked  so 
great  a  clamour  on  his  part  that  I  was  obliged  to  ac 
quiesce;  and  the  operation  of  feeding  being  thus  fa 
cilitated,  the  meal  was  quickly  despatched.  As  for 
Toby,  he  was  allowed  to  help  himself  after  his  own 
fashion. 

The  repast  over,  my  attendant  arranged  the  mats  for 
repose,  and,  bidding  me  lie  down,  covered  me  with  a 
large  robe  of  tappa,  at  the  same  time  looking  approv 
ingly  upon  me,  and  exclaiming,  "Ki-ki,  nuee  nuee,  ah! 
moee  moee  motarkee"  (eat  plenty,  ah!  sleep  very  good). 
The  philosophy  of  this  sentiment  I  did  not  pretend  to 
question;  for  deprived  of  sleep  for  several  preceding 
nights,  and  the  pain  in  my  limb  having  much  abated,  I 
now  felt  inclined  to  avail  myself  of  the  opportunity 
afforded  me. 

The  next  morning,  on  waking,  I  found  Kory-Kory 
117 


n8  TYPEE 

stretched  out  on  one  side  of  me,  while  my  companion 
lay  upon  the  other.  I  felt  sensibly  refreshed  after  a 
night  of  sound  repose,  and  immediately  agreed  to  the 
proposition  of  my  valet  that  I  should  repair  to  the  water 
and  wash,  although  dreading  the  suffering  that  the  ex 
ertion  might  produce.  From  this  apprehension,  however, 
I  was  quickly  relieved;  for  Kory-Kory,  leaping  from 
the  pi-pi,  and  then  backing  himself  up  against  it,  like  a 
porter  in  readiness  to  shoulder  a  trunk,  with  loud  vocif 
erations  and  a  superabundance  of  gestures  gave  me  to 
understand  that  I  was  to  mount  upon  his  back  and  be 
thus  transported  to  the  stream,  which  flowed  perhaps  two 
hundred  yards  from  the  house. 

Our  appearance  upon  the  verandah  in  front  of  the 
habitation  drew  together  quite  a  crowd,  who  stood 
looking  on  and  conversing  with  one  another  in  the  most 
animated  manner.  They  reminded  one  of  a  group  of 
idlers  gathered  about  the  door  of  a  village  tavern  when 
the  equipage  of  some  distinguished  traveller  is  brought 
round  previous  to  his  departure.  As  soon  as  I  clasped 
my  arms  about  the  neck  of  the  devoted  fellow,  and  he 
jogged  off  with  me,  the  crowd  —  composed  chiefly  of 
young  girls  and  boys  —  followed  after,  shouting  and 
capering  with  infinite  glee,  and  accompanied  us  to  the 
banks  of  the  stream. 

On  gaining  it,  Kory-Kory,  wading  up  to  his  hips  in 
the  water,  carried  me  half  way  across,  and  deposited 
me  on  a  smooth  black  stone  which  rose  a  few  inches 
above  the  surface.  The  amphibious  rabble  at  our  heels 
plunged  in  after  us,  and,  climbing  to  the  summit  of  the 
grass-grown  rocks  with  which  the  bed  of  the  brook  was 
here  and  there  broken,  waited  curiously  to  witness  our 
morning  ablutions. 

Somewhat  embarrassed  by  the  presence  of  the  female 


TERRORS    IN    THE    TABOO    GROVES        119 

portion  of  the  company,  and  feeling  my  cheeks  burning 
with  bashful  timidity,  I  formed  a  primitive  basin  by 
joining  my  hands  together,  and  cooled  my  blushes  in 
the  water  it  contained;  then  removing  my  frock,  bent 
over  and  washed  myself  down  to  my  waist  in  the  stream. 
As  soon  as  Kory-Kory  comprehended  from  my  motions 
that  this  was  to  be  the  extent  of  my  performance,  he  ap 
peared  perfectly  aghast  with  astonishment,  and  rush 
ing  towards  me,  poured  out  a  torrent  of  words  in  eager 
deprecation  of  so  limited  an  operation,  enjoining  me  by 
unmistakable  signs  to  immerse  my  whole  body.  To 
this  I  was  forced  to  consent;  and  the  honest  fellow 
regarding  me  as  a  froward,  inexperienced  child,  whom 
it  was  his  duty  to  serve  at  the  risk  of  offending,  lifted 
me  from  the  rock,  and  tenderly  bathed  my  limbs. 

This  over,  and  resuming  my  seat,  I  could  not  avoid 
bursting  into  admiration  of  the  scene  around  me.  From 
the  verdant  surfaces  of  the  large  stones  that  lay  scat 
tered  about,  the  natives  were  now  sliding  off  into  the 
water,  diving  and  ducking  beneath  the  surface  in  all 
directions  —  the  young  girls  springing  buoyantly  into 
the  air,  and  revealing  their  naked  forms  to  the  waist, 
with  their  long  tresses  dancing  about  their  shoulders, 
their  eyes  sparkling  like  drops  of  dew  in  the  sun,  and 
their  gay  laughter  pealing  forth  at  every  frolicsome 
incident. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  day  that  I  took  my  first  bath 
in  the  valley,  we  received  another  visit  from  Mehevi. 
The  noble  savage  seemed  to  be  in  the  same  pleasant 
mood,  and  was  quite  as  cordial  in  his  manner  as  before. 
After  remaining  about  an  hour,  he  rose  from  the  mats, 
and  motioning  to  leave  the  house,  invited  Toby  and 
myself  to  accompany  him.  I  pointed  to  my  leg;  but 
Mehevi  in  his  turn  pointed  to  Kory-Kory,  and  removed 


120  TYPEE 

that  objection;  so,  mounting  upon  the  faithful  fellow's 
shoulders  again  —  like  the  old  man  of  the  sea  astride 
of  Sindbad  —  I  followed  after  the  chief. 

The  nature  of  the  route  we  now  pursued  struck  me 
more  forcibly  than  anything  I  had  yet  seen,  as  illustrating 
the  indolent  disposition  of  the  islanders.  The  path  was 
obviously  the  most  beaten  one  in  the  valley,  several 
others  leading  from  either  side  into  it,  and  perhaps  for 
successive  generations  it  had  formed  the  principal  avenue 
of  the  place.  And  yet,  until  I  grew  more  familiar  with 
its  impediments,  it  seemed  as  difficult  to  travel  as  the 
recesses  of  a  wilderness.  Part  of  it  swept  round  an 
abrupt  rise  of  ground,  the  surface  of  which  was  broken 
by  frequent  inequalities,  and  thickly  strewn  with  project 
ing  masses  of  rocks,  whose  summits  were  often  hidden 
from  view  by  the  drooping  foliage  of  the  luxuriant  vege 
tation.  Sometimes  directly  over,  sometimes  evading 
these  obstacles  with  a  wide  circuit,  the  path  wound  along 
—  one  moment  climbing  over  a  sudden  eminence  smooth 
with  continued  wear,  then  descending  on  the  other  side 
into  a  steep  glen,  and  crossing  the  flinty  channel  of  a 
brook.  Here  it  pursued  the  depths  of  a  glade,  occasion 
ally  obliging  you  to  stoop  beneath  vast  horizontal 
branches;  and  now  you  stepped  over  huge  trunks  and 
boughs  that  lay  rotting  across  the  track. 

Such  was  the  grand  thoroughfare  of  Typee.  After 
proceeding  a  little  distance  along  it  —  Kory-Kory  pant 
ing  and  blowing  with  the  weight  of  his  burden  —  I  dis 
mounted  from  his  back,  and  grasping  the  long  spear  of 
Mehevi  in  my  hand,  assisted  my  steps  over  the  numer 
ous  obstacles  of  the  road,  preferring  this  mode  of  ad 
vance  to  one  which,  from  the  difficulties  of  the  way, 
was  equally  painful  to  myself  and  my  wearied  servitor. 

Our  journey  was  soon  at  an  end:  for,  scaling  a  sud- 


TERRORS  IN  THE  TABOO  GROVES    121 

den  height,  we  came  abruptly  upon  the  place  of  our 
destination.  I  wish  that  it  were  possible  to  sketch  in 
words  this  spot  as  vividly  as  I  recollect  it. 

Here  were  situated  the  Taboo  groves  of  the  valley  — 
the  scene  of  many  a  prolonged  feast,  of  many  a  horrid 
rite.  Beneath  the  dark  shadows  of  the  consecrated 
bread-fruit  trees  there  reigned  a  solemn  twilight  —  a 
cathedral-like  gloom.  The  frightful  genius  of  pagan 
worship  seemed  to  brood  in  silence  over  the  place, 
breathing  its  spell  upon  every  object  around.  Here 
and  there,  in  the  depths  of  these  awful  shades,  half 
screened  from  sight  by  masses  of  overhanging  foliage, 
rose  the  idolatrous  altars  of  the  savages,  built  of  enor 
mous  blocks  of  black  and  polished  stone,  placed  one 
upon  another,  without  cement,  to  the  height  of  twelve 
or  fifteen  feet,  and  surmounted  by  a  rustic  open  temple, 
enclosed  with  a  low  picket  of  canes,  within  which  might 
be  seen,  in  various  stages  of  decay,  offerings  of  bread 
fruit  and  cocoa-nuts  and  the  putrefying  relics  of  some 
recent  sacrifice. 

In  the  midst  of  the  wood  was  the  hallowed  "hoolah 
hoolah"  ground  —  set  apart  for  the  celebration  of  the 
fantastic  religious  ritual  of  these  people  —  comprising 
an  extensive  oblong  pi-pi,  terminating  at  either  end  in  a 
lofty  terraced  altar,  guarded  by  ranks  of  hideous  wooden 
idols,  and  with  the  two  remaining  sides  flanked  by  ranges 
of  bamboo  sheds,  opening  towards  the  interior  of  the 
quadrangle  thus  formed.  Vast  trees,  standing  in  the 
middle  of  this  space,  and  throwing  over  it  an  umbra 
geous  shade,  had  their  massive  trunks  built  round  with 
slight  stages,  elevated  a  few  feet  above  the  ground,  and 
railed  in  with  canes,  forming  so  many  rustic  pulpits, 
from  which  the  priests  harangued  their  devotees. 

This  holiest  of  spots  was  defended  from  profanation 


122  TYPEE 

by  the  strictest  edicts  of  the  all-pervading  "taboo/' 
which  condemned  to  instant  death  the  sacriligious  fe 
male  who  should  enter  or  touch  its  sacred  precincts,  or 
even  so  much  as  press  with  her  feet  the  ground  made 
holy  by  the  shadows  that  it  cast. 

Access  was  had  to  the  enclosure  through  an  embow 
ered  entrance  on  one  side,  facing  a  number  of  towering 
cocoa-nut  trees,  planted  at  intervals  along  a  level  area 
of  a  hundred  yards.  At  the  further  extremity  of  this 
space  was  to  be  seen  a  building  of  considerable  size, 
reserved  for  the  habitation  of  the  priests  and  religious 
attendants  of  the  groves. 

In  its  vicinity  was  another  remarkable  edifice,  built 
as  usual  upon  the  summit  of  a  pi-pi,  and  at  least  two 
hundred  feet  in  length,  though  not  more  than  twenty 
in  breadth.  The  whole  front  of  this  latter  structure 
was  completely  open,  and  from  one  end  to  the  other  ran 
a  narrow  verandah,  fenced  in  on  the  edge  of  the  pi-pi 
with  a  picket  of  canes.  Its  interior  presented  the  ap 
pearance  of  an  immense  lounging-place,  the  entire  floor 
being  strewn  with  successive  layers  of  mats,  lying  be 
tween  parallel  trunks  of  cocoa-nut  trees,  selected  for 
the  purpose  from  the  straightest  and  most  symmetrical 
the  vale  afforded. 

To  this  building,  denominated  in  the  language  of  the 
natives  the  "Ti,"  Mehevi  now  conducted  us.  Thus  far 
we  had  been  accompanied  by  a  troop  of  the  natives  of 
both  sexes;  but  as  soon  as  we  approached  its  vicinity, 
the  females  gradually  separated  themselves  from  the 
crowd,  and  standing  aloof,  permitted  us  to  pass  on.  The 
merciless  prohibitions  of  the  taboo  extended  likewise 
to  this  edifice,  and  were  enforced  by  the  same  dreadful 
penalty  that  secured  the  Hoolah  Hoolah  ground  from  the 
imaginary  pollution  of  a  woman's  presence. 


TERRORS    IN    THE    TABOO    GROVES        123 

On  entering  the  house,  I  was  surprised  to  see  six  mus 
kets  ranged  against  the  bamboo  on  one  side,  from  the 
barrels  of  which  depended  as  many  small  canvas  pouches, 
partly  filled  with  powder.  Disposed  about  these  mus 
kets,  like  the  cutlasses  that  decorate  the  bulkhead  of  a 
man-of-war's  cabin,  were  a  great  variety  of  rude  spears 
and  paddles,  javelins,  and  war-clubs.  This  then,  said  I 
to  Toby,  must  be  the  armory  of  the  tribe. 

As  we  advanced  further  along  the  building,  we  were 
struck  with  the  aspect  of  four  or  five  hideous  old 
wretches,  on  whose  decrepit  forms  time  and  tattooing 
seemed  to  have  obliterated  every  trace  of  humanity. 
Owing  to  the  continued  operation  of  this  latter  process, 
which  only  terminates  among  the  warriors  of  the  island 
after  all  the  figures  sketched  upon  their  limbs  in  youth 
have  been  blended  together  —  an  effect,  however,  pro 
duced  only  in  cases  of  extreme  longevity  —  the  bodies 
of  these  men  were  of  a  uniform  dull  green  colour  —  the 
hue  which  the  tattooing  gradually  assumes  as  the  indi 
vidual  advances  in  age.  Their  skin  had  a  frightful  scaly 
appearance,  which,  united  with  its  singular  colour,  made 
their  limbs  not  a  little  resemble  dusty  specimens  of  verde- 
antique.  Their  flesh,  in  parts,  hung  upon  them  in  huge 
folds,  like  the  overlapping  plaits  on  the  flank  of  a  rhi 
noceros.  Their  heads  were  completely  bald,  whilst  their 
faces  were  puckered  into  a  thousand  wrinkles,  and  they 
presented  no  vestige  of  a  beard.  But  the  most  remark 
able  peculiarity  about  them  was  the  appearance  of  their 
feet;  the  toes,  like  the  radiating  lines  of  the  mariner's 
compass,  pointed  to  every  quarter  of  the  horizon.  This 
was  doubtless  attributable  to  the  fact  that  during  nearly 
a  hundred  years  of  existence  the  said  toes  never  had 
been  subjected  to  an  artificial  confinement,  and  in  their 
old  age,  being  averse  to  close  neighbourhood,  bid  one 
another  keep  open  order. 


124  TYPEE 

These  repulsive-looking  creatures  appeared  to  have 
lost  the  use  of  their  lower  limbs  altogether,  sitting  upon 
the  floor  cross-legged  in  a  state  of  torpor.  They  never 
heeded  us  in  the  least,  scarcely  looking  conscious  of  our 
presence,  while  Mehevi  seated  us  upon  the  mats,  and 
Kory-Kory  gave  utterance  to  some  unintelligible  gib 
berish. 

In  a  few  moments  a  boy  entered  with  a  wooden 
trencher  of  poee-poee;  and  in  regaling  myself  with  its 
contents  I  was  obliged  again  to  submit  to  the  officious 
intervention  of  my  indefatigable  servitor.  Various  other 
dishes  followed,  the  chief  manifesting  the  most  hospit 
able  importunity  in  pressing  us  to  partake,  and  to  remove 
all  bashfulness  on  our  part,  set  us  no  despicable  example 
in  his  own  person. 

The  repast  concluded,  a  pipe  was  lighted,  which  passed 
from  mouth  to  mouth,  and  yielding  to  its  soporific  in 
fluence,  the  quiet  of  the  place,  and  the  deepening  shad 
ows  of  approaching  night,  my  companion  and  I  sank  into 
a  kind  of  drowsy  repose,  while  the  chief  and  Kory-Kory 
seemed  to  be  slumbering  beside  us. 

I  awoke  from  an  uneasy  nap,  about  midnight,  as  I  sup 
posed;  and,  raising  myself  partly  from  the  mat,  became 
sensible  that  we  were  enveloped  in  utter  darkness.  Toby 
lay  still  asleep,  but  our  late  companions  had  disappeared. 
The  only  sound  that  interrupted  the  silence  of  the  place 
was  the  asthmatic  breathing  of  the  old  men  I  have  men 
tioned,  who  reposed  at  a  little  distance  from  us.  Besides 
them,  as  well  as  I  could  judge,  there  was  no  one  else  in 
the  house. 

Apprehensive  of  some  evil,  I  roused  my  comrade,  and 
we  were  engaged  in  a  whispered  conference  concerning 
the  unexpected  withdrawal  of  the  natives,  when  all  at 
once,  from  the  depths  of  the  grove,  in  full  view  of  us 


TERRORS    IN    THE    TABOO    GROVES        125 

where  we  lay,  shoots  of  flame  were  seen  to  rise,  and  in  a 
few  moments  illuminated  the  surrounding  trees,  cast 
ing,  by  contrast,  into  still  deeper  gloom  the  darkness 
around  us. 

While  we  continued  gazing  at  this  sight,  dark  figures 
appeared  moving  to  and  fro  before  the  flames;  while 
others,  dancing  and  capering  about,  looked  like  so  many 
demons. 

Regarding  this  new  phenomenon  with  no  small  degree 
of  trepidition,  I  said  to  my  companion,  "What  can  all 
this  mean,  Toby?" 

"Oh,  nothing,"  replied  he;  "getting  the  fire  ready,  I 
suppose." 

"Fire!"  exclaimed  I,  while  my  heart  took  to  beating 
like  a  trip-hammer,  "what  fire?" 

"Why,  the  fire  to  cook  us,  to  be  sure;  what  else  would 
the  cannibals  be  kicking  up  such  a  row  about  if  it  were 
not  for  that?" 

"Oh,  Toby!  have  done  with  your  jokes;  this  is  no  time 
for  them;  something  is  about  to  happen,  I  feel  con 
fident." 

"Jokes,  indeed!"  exclaimed  Toby,  indignantly.  "Did 
you  ever  hear  me  joke?  Why,  for  what  do  you  suppose 
the  devils  have  been  feeding  us  up  in  this  kind  of  style 
during  the  last  three  days,  unless  it  were  for  something 
that  you  are  too  much  frightened  at  to  talk  about? 
Look  at  that  Kory-Kory  there!  — has  he  not  been 
stuffing  you  with  his  confounded  mushes,  just  in  the 
way  they  treat  swine  before  they  kill  them?  Depend 
upon  it,  we  will  be  eaten  this  blessed  night,  and  there  is 
the  fire  we  shall  be  roasted  by." 

This  view  of  the  matter  was  not  at  all  calculated  to 
allay  my  apprehensions,  and  I  shuddered  when  I  reflected 
that  we  were  indeed  at  the  mercy  of  a  tribe  of  cannibals, 


126  TYPEE 

and  that  the  dreadful  contingency  to  which  Toby  had 
alluded  was  by  no  means  removed  beyond  the  bounds 
of  possibility. 

"There!  I  told  you  so!  they  are  coming  for  us!"  ex 
claimed  my  companion  the  next  moment,  as  the  forms 
of  four  of  the  islanders  were  seen  in  bold  relief  against 
the  illuminated  background,  mounting  the  pi-pi  and 
approaching  toward  us. 

They  came  on  noiselessly,  nay  stealthily,  and  glided 
along  through  the  gloom  that  surrounded  us  as  if  about 
to  spring  upon  some  object  they  were  fearful  of  dis 
turbing  before  they  should  make  sure  of  it.  —  Gracious 
heaven!  the  horrible  reflections  which  crowded  upon  me 
that  moment.  A  cold  sweat  stood  upon  my  brow,  and 
spellbound  with  terror  I  awaited  my  fate! 

Suddenly  the  silence  was  broken  by  the  well-remem 
bered  tones  of  Mehevi,  and  at  the  kindly  accents  of  his 
voice  my  fears  were  immediately  dissipated.  "Tommo, 
Toby,  ki  ki! "  (eat) .  —  He  had  waited  to  address  us  until 
he  had  assured  himself  that  we  were  both  awake,  at 
which  he  seemed  somewhat  surprised. 

"Ki  ki!  is  it?"  said  Toby  in  his  gruff  tones;  "well, 
cook  us  first,  will  you?  —  but  what's  this?"  he  added, 
as  another  savage  appeared,  bearing  before  him  a  large 
trencher  of  wood,  containing  some  kind  of  steaming 
meat,  as  appeared  from  the  odors  it  diffused,  and  which 
he  deposited  at  the  feet  of  Mehevi.  "A  baked  baby,  I 
dare  say!  but  I  will  have  none  of  it,  never  mind  what  it 
is.  —  A  pretty  fool  I  should  make  of  myself,  indeed, 
waked  up  here  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  stuffing  and 
guzzling,  and  all  to  make  a  fat  meal  for  a  parcel  of 
bloody-minded  cannibals  one  of  these  mornings!  — No, 
I  see  what  they  are  at  very  plainly,  so  I  am  resolved  to 
starve  myself  into  a  bunch  of  bones  and  gristle,  and 


TERRORS    IN    THE    TABOO    GROVES        127 

then,  if  they  serve  me  up,  they  are  welcome!  But  I  say, 
Tommo,  you  are  not  going  to  eat  of  that  mess  there, 
in  the  dark,  are  you?  Why,  how  can  you  tell  what 
it  is?" 

"By  tasting  it,  to  be  sure,"  said  I,  masticating  a  mor 
sel  that  Kory-Kory  had  just  put  in  my  mouth;  "and 
excellently  good  it  is  too,  very  much  like  veal." 

"A  baked  baby,  by  the  soul  of  Captain  Cook!"  burst 
forth  Toby,  with  amazing  vehemence.  "Veal!  why  there 
never  was  a  calf  on  the  island  till  you  landed.  I  tell 
you  you  are  bolting  down  mouthfuls  from  a  dead  Hap- 
par's  carcass,  as  sure  as  you  live,  and  no  mistake!" 

What  a  sensation  in  the  abdominal  regions!  Sure 
enough,  where  could  the  fiends  incarnate  have  obtained 
meat?  But  I  resolved  to  satisfy  myself  at  all  hazards; 
and  turning  to  Mehevi,  I  soon  made  the  ready  chief 
understand  that  I  wished  a  light  to  be  brought.  When 
the  taper  came,  I  gazed  eagerly  into  the  vessel,  and 
recognized  the  mutilated  remains  of  a  juvenile  porker! 
"Puarkee!"  exclaimed  Kory-Kory,  looking  complacently 
at  the  dish;  and  from  that  day  to  this  I  have  never  for 
gotten  that  such  is  the  designation  of  a  pig  in  the 
Typee  lingo. 

The  next  morning,  after  being  again  abundantly 
feasted  by  the  hospitable  Mehevi,  Toby  and  myself  arose 
to  depart.  But  the  chief  requested  us  to  postpone  our 
intention.  "Abo,  abo,"  (Wait,  wait,)  he  said,  and  ac 
cordingly  we  resumed  our  seats,  while,  assisted  by  the 
zealous  Kory-Kory,  he  appeared  to  be  engaged  in  giving 
directions  to  a  number  of  the  natives  outside,  who  were 
busily  employed  in  making  arrangements,  the  nature  of 
which  we  could  not  comprehend.  But  we  were  not  left 
long  in  our  ignorance,  for  a  few  moments  only  had 
elapsed  when  the  chief  beckoned  us  to  approach,  and 


128  TYPEE 

we  perceived  that  he  had  been  marshalling  a  kind  of 
guard  of  honour  to  escort  us  on  our  return  to  the  house 
of  Marheyo. 

The  procession  was  led  off  by  two  venerable-looking 
savages,  each  provided  with  a  spear,  from  the  end  of 
which  streamed  a  pennon  of  milk-white  tappa.  After 
them  went  several  youths,  bearing  aloft  calabashes  of 
poee-poee,  and  followed  in  their  turn  by  four  stalwart 
fellows  sustaining  long  bamboos,  from  the  tops  of  which 
hung  suspended,  at  least  twenty  feet  from  the  ground, 
large  baskets  of  green  bread-fruit.  Then  came  a  troop 
of  boys,  carrying  bunches  of  ripe  bananas,  and  baskets 
made  of  the  woven  leaflets  of  cocoa-nut  boughs,  filled 
with  the  young  fruit  of  the  tree,  the  naked  shells  stripped 
of  their  husks  peeping  forth  from  the  verdant  wicker- 
work  that  surrounded  them.  Last  of  all  came  a  burly 
islander,  holding  over  his  head  a  wooden  trencher,  in 
which  lay  disposed  the  remnants  of  our  midnight  feast, 
hidden  from  view,  however,  by  a  covering  of  bread 
fruit  leaves. 

Astonished  as  I  was  at  this  exhibition,  I  could  not 
avoid  smiling  at  its  grotesque  appearance  and  the  as 
sociations  it  naturally  called  up.  Mehevi,  it  seemed, 
was  bent  on  replenishing  old  Marheyo's  larder,  fearful 
perhaps  that  without  this  precaution  his  guests  might 
not  fare  as  well  as  they  could  desire. 

As  soon  as  I  descended  from  the  pi-pi,  the -procession 
formed  anew,  enclosing  us  in  its  centre,  where  I  re 
mained,  part  of  the  time  carried  by  Kory-Kory,  and 
occasionally  relieving  him  from  his  burden  by  limping 
along  with  a  spear.  When  we  moved  off  in  this  order, 
the  natives  struck  up  a  musical  recitative,  which,  with 
various  alternations,  they  continued  until  we  arrived  at 
the  place  of  our  destination. 


TERRORS    IN   THE   TABOO    GROVES        129 

As  we  proceeded  on  our  way,  bands  of  young  girls, 
darting  from  the  surrounding  groves,  hung  upon  our 
skirts,  and  accompanied  us  with  shouts  of  merriment 
and  delight  which  almost  drowned  the  deep  notes  of 
the  recitative.  On  approaching  old  Marheyo's  domi 
cile,  its  inmates  rushed  out  to  receive  us;  and  while  the 
gifts  of  the  Mehevi  were  being  disposed  of,  the  super 
annuated  warrior  did  the  honours  of  his  mansion  with 
all  the  warmth  of  hospitality  evinced  by  an  English 
squire  when  he  regales  his  friends  at  some  fine  old 
patrimonial  mansion. 


CHAPTER    XIII 
PERILOUS  ADVENTURE  OF  TOBY 

AMIDST  these  novel  scenes  a  week  passed  away  almost 
imperceptibly.  The  natives,  actuated  by  some  myste 
rious  impulse,  day  after  day  redoubled  their  attentions 
to  us.  Their  manner  towards  us  was  unaccountable. 
Surely,  thought  I,  they  would  not  act  thus  if  they 
meant  us  any  harm.  But  why  this  excess  of  deferential 
kindness,  or  what  equivalent  can  they  imagine  us  capa 
ble  of  rendering  them  for  it? 

We  were  fairly  puzzled.  But  despite  the  apprehen 
sions  I  could  not  dispel,  the  horrible  character  imputed 
to  these  Typees  appeared  to  me  wholly  undeserved. 

"Why,  they  are  cannibals!"  said  Toby  on  one  occa 
sion  when  I  eulogised  the  tribe. 

"Granted,"  I  replied,  "but  a  more  humane,  gentle 
manly,  and  amiable  set  of  epicures  do  not  probably  exist 
in  the  Pacific." 

But,  notwithstanding  the  kind  treatment  we  received, 
I  was  too  familiar  with  the  fickle  disposition  of  savages 
not  to  feel  anxious  to  withdraw  from  the  valley  and 
put  myself  beyond  the  reach  of  that  fearful  death 
which,  under  all  these  smiling  appearances,  might  yet 
menace  us.  But  here  there  was  an  obstacle  in  the  way 
of  doing  so.  It  was  idle  for  me  to  think  of  moving  from 
the  place  until  I  should  have  recovered  from  the  severe 
lameness  that  afflicted  me;  indeed  my  malady  began 
seriously  to  alarm  me;  for,  despite  the  herbal  remedies 
of  the  natives,  it  continued  to  grow  worse  and  worse. 

130 


PERILOUS    ADVENTURE    OF    TOBY       131 

Their  mild  applications,  though  they  soothed  the  pain, 
did  not  remove  the  disorder,  and  I  felt  convinced  that 
without  better  aid  I  might  anticipate  long  and  acute 
suffering. 

But  how  was  this  aid  to  be  procured?  From  the 
surgeons  of  the  French  fleet,  which  probably  still  lay  in 
the  bay  of  Nukuheva,  it  might  easily  have  been  obtained, 
could  I  have  made  my  case  known  to  them.  But  how 
could  that  be  effected? 

At  that,  in  the  exigency  to  which  I  was  reduced,  I 
proposed  to  Toby  that  he  should  endeavour  to  go  round 
to  Nukuheva,  and  if  he  could  not  succeed  in  returning  to 
the  valley  by  water,  in  one  of  the  boats  of  the  squadron, 
and  taking  me  off,  he  might  at  least  procure  me  some 
proper  medicines  and  effect  his  return  overland. 

My  companion  listened  to  me  in  silence,  and  at  first 
did  not  appear  to  relish  the  idea.  The  truth  was,  he  felt 
impatient  to  escape  from  the  place,  and  wished  to  avail 
himself  of  our  present  high  favour  with  the  natives  to 
make  good  our  retreat,  before  we  should  experience  some 
sudden  alteration  in  their  behaviour.  As  he  could  not 
think  of  leaving  me  in  my  helpless  condition,  he  implored 
me  to  be  of  good  cheer,  assured  me  that  I  should  soon 
be  better  and  enabled  in  a  few  days  to  return  with  him 
to  Nukuheva. 

Added  to  this,  he  could  not  bear  the  idea  of  again  re 
turning  to  this  dangerous  place;  and  as  for  the  expecta 
tion  of  persuading  the  Frenchmen  to  detach  a  boat's  crew 
for  the  purpose  of  rescuing  me  from  the  Typees,  he 
looked  upon  it  as  idle,  and  with  arguments  that  I  could 
not  answer  urged  the  improbability  of  their  provoking 
the  hostilities  of  the  clan  by  any  such  measure,  espe 
cially  as,  for  the  purpose  of  quieting  its  apprehensions, 
they  had  as  yet  refrained  from  making  any  visit  to  the 


132  TYPEE 

bay.  "And  even  should  they  consent/'  said  Toby,  "they 
would  only  produce  a  commotion  in  the  valley,  in  which 
we  might  both  be  sacrificed  by  these  ferocious  islanders." 
This  was  unanswerable;  but  still  I  clung  to  the  belief 
that  he  might  succeed  in  accomplishing  the  other  part 
of  my  plan  and  at  last  I  overcame  his  scruples,  and  he 
agreed  to  make  the  attempt. 

As  soon  as  we  succeeded  in  making  the  natives  under 
stand  our  intention,  they  broke  out  into  the  most  vehe 
ment  opposition  to  the  measure,  and  for  a  while  I  almost 
despaired  of  obtaining  their  consent.  At  the  bare  thought 
of  one  of  us  leaving  them,  they  manifested  the  most 
lively  concern.  The  grief  and  consternation  of  Kory- 
Kory,  in  particular,  was  unbounded;  he  threw  himself 
into  a  perfect  paroxysm  of  gestures,  which  were  intended 
to  convey  to  us  not  only  his  abhorrence  of  Nukuheva 
and  its  uncivilised  inhabitants,  but  also  his  astonishment 
that,  after  becoming  acquainted  with  the  enlightened 
Typees,  we  should  evince  the  least  desire  to  withdraw, 
even  for  a  time,  from  their  agreeable  society. 

However,  I  overbore  his  objections  by  appealing  to  my 
lameness,  from  which  I  assured  the  natives  I  should 
speedily  recover  if  Toby  were  permitted  to  obtain  the 
supplies  I  needed. 

It  was  agreed  that  on  the  following  morning  my  com 
panion  should  depart,  accompanied  by  some  one  or  two 
of  the  household,  who  should  point  out  to  him  an  easy 
route  by  which  the  bay  might  be  reached  before  sunset. 

At  early  dawn  of  the  next  day,  our  habitation  was 
astir.  One  of  the  young  men  mounted  into  an  adjoining 
cocoa-nut  tree  and  threw  down  a  number  of  the  young 
fruit,  which  old  Marheyo  quickly  stripped  of  the  green 
husks  and  strung  together  upon  a  short  pole.  These 
were  intended  to  refresh  Toby  on  his  route. 


PERILOUS   ADVENTURE   OF   TOBY       133 

The  preparations  being  completed,  with  no  little 
emotion  I  bade  my  companion  adieu.  He  promised  to 
return  in  three  days  at  farthest;  and,  bidding  me  keep 
up  my  spirits  in  the  interval,  turned  round  the  corner 
of  the  pi-pi,  and,  under  the  guidance  of  the  venerable 
Marheyo,  was  soon  out  of  sight.  His  departure  op 
pressed  me  with  melancholy,  and,  re-entering  the  dwell 
ing,  I  threw  myself  almost  in  despair  upon  the  matting 
of  the  floor. 

In  two  hours'  time  the  old  warrior  returned,  and 
gave  me  to  understand  that,  after  accompanying  my 
companion  a  little  distance  and  showing  him  the  route, 
he  had  left  him  journeying  on  his  way. 

It  was  about  noon  of  this  same  day,  a  season  which 
these  people  are  wont  to  pass  in  sleep,  that  I  lay  in  the 
house,  surrounded  by  its  slumbering  inmates,  and  pain 
fully  affected  by  the  strange  silence  which  prevailed. 
All  at  once  I  thought  I  heard  a  faint  shout,  as  if  pro 
ceeding  from  some  persons  in  the  depth  of  the  grove 
which  extended  in  front  of  our  habitation. 

The  sounds  grew  louder  and  nearer,  and  gradually 
the  whole  valley  rang  with  wild  outcries.  The  sleep 
ers  around  me  started  to  their  feet  in  alarm,  and  hurried 
outside  to  discover  the  cause  of  the  commotion.  Kory- 
Kory,  who  had  been  the  first  to  spring  up,  soon  re 
turned  almost  breathless,  and  nearly  frantic  with  the 
excitement  under  which  he  seemed  to  be  labouring. 
All  that  I  could  understand  from  him  was  that  some 
accident  had  happened  to  Toby.  Apprehensive  of  some 
dreadful  calamity,  I  rushed  out  of  the  house,  and  caught 
sight  of  a  tumultuous  crowd,  who,  with  shrieks  and 
lamentations,  were  just  emerging  from  the  grove  bear 
ing  in  their  arms  some  object,  the  sight  of  which  pro 
duced  all  this  transport  of  sorrow.  As  they  drew  near, 


134  TYPEE 

the  men  redoubled  their  cries,  while  the  girls,  tossing 
their  bare  arms  in  the  air,  exclaimed  plaintively, 
"Awha!  awha!  Toby  mukee  moee!"  —  Alas!  alas! 
Toby  is  killed! 

In  a  moment  the  crowd  opened,  and  disclosed  the 
apparently  lifeless  body  of  my  companion  borne  between 
two  men,  the  head  hanging  heavily  against  the  breast 
of  the  foremost.  The  whole  face,  neck,  and  bosom 
were  covered  with  blood,  which  still  trickled  slowly 
from  a  wound  behind  the  temple.  In  the  midst  of  the 
greatest  uproar  and  confusion  the  body  was  carried  into 
the  house  and  laid  on  a  mat.  Waving  the  natives  off 
to  give  room  and  air,  I  bent  eagerly  over  Toby,  and, 
laying  my  hand  upon  the  breast,  ascertained  that  the 
heart  still  beat.  Overjoyed  at  this,  I  seized  a  calabash 
of  water,  and  dashed  its  contents  upon  his  face,  then, 
wiping  away  the  blood,  anxiously  examined  the  wound. 

It  was  about  three  inches  long,  and  on  removing  the 
clotted  hair  from  about  it,  showed  the  skull  laid  com 
pletely  bare.  Immediately  with  my  knife  I  cut  away 
the  heavy  locks,  and  bathed  the  part  repeatedly  in 
water. 

In  a  few  moments  Toby  revived,  and  opening  his 
eyes  for  a  second,  closed  them  again  without  speaking. 
Kory-Kory,  who  had  been  kneeling  beside  me,  now 
chafed  his  limbs  gently  with  the  palms  of  his  hands, 
while  a  young  girl  at  his  head  kept  fanning  him,  and  I 
still  continued  to  moisten  his  lips  and  brow.  Soon  my 
poor  comrade  showed  signs  of  animation,  and  I  suc 
ceeded  in  making  him  swallow  from  a  cocoa-nut  shell  a 
few  mouthfuls  of  water. 

Old  Tinor  now  appeared,  holding  in  her  hand  some 
simples  she  had  gathered,  the  juice  of  which  she  by 
signs  besought  me  to  squeeze  into  the  wgund.  Having 


PERILOUS   ADVENTURE    OF    TOBY       135 

done  so,  I  thought  it  best  to  leave  Toby  undisturbed 
until  he  should  have  had  time  to  rally  his  faculties. 
Several  times  he  opened  his  lips,  but  fearful  for  his 
safety  I  enjoined  silence.  In  the  course  of  two  or  three 
hours,  however,  he  sat  up,  and  was  sufficiently  recovered 
to  tell  me  what  had  occurred. 

"After  leaving  the  house  with  Marheyo,"  said  Toby, 
"we  struck  across  the  valley  and  ascended  the  opposite 
heights.  Just  beyond  them,  my  guide  informed  me, 
lay  the  valley  of  Happar,  while  along  their  summits, 
and  skirting  the  head  of  the  vale,  was  my  route  to 
Nukuheva. 

"After  mounting  a  little  way  up  the  elevation  my 
guide  paused,  and  gave  me  to  understand  that  he  could 
not  accompany  me  any  farther.,  and  by  various  signs 
intimated  that  he  was  afraid  to  approach  any  nearer 
the  territories  of  the  enemies  of  his  tribe.  He,  how 
ever,  pointed  out  my  path,  which  now  lay  clearly  before 
me,  and  bidding  me  farewell,  hastily  descended  the 
mountain. 

"Quite  elated  at  being  so  near  the  Happars,  I  pushed 
up  the  acclivity,  and  soon  gained  its  summit.  It 
tapered  up  to  a  sharp  ridge,  from  whence  I  beheld 
both  the  hostile  valleys.  Here  I  sat  down  and  rested 
for  a  moment,  refreshing  myself  with  my  cocoa-nuts. 
I  was  soon  again  pursuing  my  way  along  the  height, 
when  suddenly  I  saw  three  of  the  islanders,  who  must 
have  just  come  out  of  Happar  valley,  standing  in  the 
path  ahead  of  me.  They  were  each  armed  with  a  heavy 
spear,  and  one  from  his  appearance  I  took  to  be  a  chief. 
They  sung  out  something,  I  could  not  understand  what, 
and  beckoned  me  to  come  on. 

"Without  the  least  hesitation  I  advanced  towards 
them,  and  approached  within  about  a  yard  of  the 


136  TYPEE 

foremost,  when,  pointing  angrily  into  the  Typee  valley, 
and  uttering  some  savage  exclamation,  he  wheeled 
round  his  weapon  like  lightning,  and  struck  me  in  a 
moment  to  the  ground.  The  blow  inflicted  this  wound, 
and  took  away  my  senses.  As  soon  as  I  came  to  myself, 
I  perceived  the  three  islanders  standing  a  little  distance 
off,  and  apparently  engaged  in  some  violent  altercation 
respecting  me. 

"My  first  impulse  was  to  run  for  it;  but,  in  en 
deavouring  to  rise,  I  fell  back  and  rolled  down  a  little 
grassy  precipice.  The  shock  seemed  to  rally  my  facul 
ties;  so,  starting  to  my  feet,  I  fled  down  the  path  I  had 
just  ascended.  I  had  no  need  to  look  behind  me,  for, 
from  the  yells  I  heard,  I  knew  that  my  enemies  were 
in  full  pursuit.  Urged  on  by  their  fearful  outcries, 
and  heedless  of  the  injury  I  had  received  —  though  the 
blood  flowing  from  the  wound  trickled  over  into  my 
eyes  and  almost  blinded  me  —  I  rushed  down  the  moun 
tain  side  with  the  speed  of  the  wind.  In  a  short  time 
I  had  descended  nearly  a  third  of  the  distance,  and  the 
savages  had  ceased  their  cries,  when  suddenly  a  terrific 
howl  burst  upon  my  ear,  and  at  the  same  moment  a 
heavy  javelin  darted  past  me  as  I  fled,  and  stuck  quiver 
ing  in  a  tree  close  to  me.  Another  yell  followed,  a 
second  spear  and  a  third  shot  through  the  air  within  a 
few  feet  of  my  body,  both  of  them  piercing  the  ground 
obliquely  in  advance  of  me.  The  fellows  gave  a  roar 
of  rage  and  disappointment;  but  they  were  afraid,  I 
suppose,  of  coming  down  further  into  the  Typee  valley, 
and  so  abandoned  the  chase.  I  saw  them  recover  their 
weapons  and  turn  back,  and  I  continued  my  descent  as 
fast  as  I  could. 

"What  could  have  caused  this  ferocious  attack  on  the 
part  of  these  Happars  I  could  not  imagine,  unless  it 


PERILOUS   ADVENTURE    OF    TOBY       137 

were  that  they  had  seen  me  ascending  the  mountain 
with  Marheyo,  and  that  the  mere  fact  of  coming  from 
the  Typee  valley  was  sufficient  to  provoke  them. 

"As  long  as  I  was  in  danger  I  scarcely  felt  the  wound 
I  had  received;  but  when  the  chase  was  over  I  began  to 
suffer  from  it.  I  had  lost  my  hat  in  my  flight,  and  the 
sun  scorched  my  bare  head.  I  felt  faint  and  giddy;  but, 
fearful  of  falling  to  the  ground  beyond  the  reach  of  as 
sistance,  I  staggered  on  as  well  as  I  could,  and  at  last 
gained  the  level  of  the  valley,  and  then  down  I  sunk; 
and  I  knew  nothing  more  until  I  found  myself  lying 
upon  these  mats,  and  you  stooping  over  me  with  the 
calabash  of  water." 

Such  was  Toby's  account  of  this  sad  affair.  I  after 
wards  learned  that  fortunately  he  had  fallen  close  to  a 
spot  where  the  natives  go  for  fuel.  A  party  of  them 
caught  sight  of  him  as  he  fell,  and  sounding  the  alarm, 
had  lifted  him  up,  and  after  ineffectually  endeavouring 
to  restore  him  at  the  brook,  had  hurried  forward  with 
him. to  the  house. 

This  incident  threw  a  dark  cloud  over  our  prospects. 
It  reminded  us  that  we  were  hemmed  in  by  hostile 
tribes,  whose  territories  we  could  not  hope  to  pass,  on 
our  route  to  Nukuheva,  without  encountering  the  effects 
of  their  savage  resentment.  There  appeared  to  be  no 
avenue  opened  to  our  escape  but  the  sea,  which  washed 
the  lower  extremity  of  the  vale. 

Our  Typee  friends  availed  themselves  of  the  recent 
disaster  of  Toby  to  exhort  us  to  a  due  appreciation  of 
the  blessings  we  enjoyed  among  them,  contrasting  their 
own  generous  reception  of  us  with  the  animosity  of  their 
neighbours.  They  likewise  dwelt  upon  the  cannibal 
propensities  of  the  Happars,  a  subject  which  they  were 
perfectly  aware  could  not  fail  to  alarm  us,  while  at  the 


138  TYPEE 

same  time  they  earnestly  disclaimed  all  participation  in 
so  horrid  a  custom.  Nor  did  they  omit  to  call  upon  us 
to  admire  the  natural  loveliness  of  their  own  abode,  and 
the  lavish  abundance  with  which  it  produced  all  manner 
of  luxuriant  fruits,  exalting  it  in  this  particular  above 
any  of  the  surrounding  valleys. 

Kory-Kory  seemed  to  experience  so  heartfelt  a  desire 
to  infuse  into  our  minds  proper  views  on  these  subjects 
that,  assisted  in  his  endeavours  by  the  little  knowledge 
of  the  language  we  had  acquired,  he  actually  succeeded 
in  making  us  comprehend  a  considerable  part  of  what  he 
said.  To  facilitate  our  correct  apprehension  of  his 
meaning,  he  at  first  condensed  his  ideas  into  the  small 
est  possible  compass. 

"Happar  keekeeno  nuee,"  he  exclaimed:  "nuee,  nuee, 
ki  ki  kanaka! — ah!  owle  motarkee!"  which  signifies 
"Terrible  fellows  those  Happars!  — devour  an  amazing 
quantity  of  men! — ah,  shocking  bad!"  Thus  far  he 
explained  himself  by  a  variety  of  gestures,  during  the 
performance  of  which  he  would  dart  out  of  the  house, 
and  point  abhorrently  towards  the  Happar  valley,  run 
ning  in  to  us  again  with  a  rapidity  that  showed  he  was 
fearful  we  would  lose  one  part  of  his  meaning  before  he 
could  complete  the  other,  and  continuing  his  illustra 
tions  by  seizing  the  fleshy  part  of  my  arm  in  his  teeth, 
intimating  by  the  operation  that  the  people  who  lived 
over  in  that  direction  would  like  nothing  better  than  to 
treat  me  in  that  manner. 

Having  assured  himself  that  we  were  fully  enlightened 
on  this  point,  he  proceeded  to  another  branch  of  his  sub 
ject.  "Ah!  Typee  motarkee! — nuee,  nuee  mioree  — 
nuee,  nuee  wai  —  nuee,  nuee  poee-poee  —  nuee,  nuee 
kokoo  —  ah !  nuee  nuee  kiki  —  ah !  nuee,  nuee,  nuee ! " 
Which,  literally  interpreted  as  before,  would  imply, 


PERILOUS   ADVENTURE    OF    TOBY       139 

"Ah,  Typee!  isn't  it  a  fine  place  though!  — no  danger 
of  starving  here,  I  tell  you!  — plenty  of  bread-fruit  — 
plenty  of  water  —  plenty  of  pudding  —  ah!  plenty  of 
everything! — ah!  heaps,  heaps,  heaps!"  All  this  was 
accompanied  by  a  running  commentary  of  signs  and  ges 
tures  which  it  was  impossible  not  to  comprehend. 

As  he  continued  his  harangue,  however,  Kory-Kory,  in 
emulation  of  our  more  polished  orators,  began  to  laur  ch 
out  rather  diffusely  into  other  branches  of  his  subject, 
enlarging,  probably,  upon  the  moral  reflections  it  sug 
gested,  and  proceeded  in  such  a  strain  of  unintelligible 
and  stunning  gibberish  that  he  actually  gave  me  the 
headache  for  the  rest  of  the  day. 


CHAPTER   XIV 
SOMETHING  BEFALLS  TOBY 

IN  the  course  of  a  few  days  Toby  had  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  his  adventure  with  the  Happar  warriors,  the 
wound  on  his  head  rapidly  healing  under  the  vegetable 
treatment  of  the  good  Tinor.  Less  fortunate  than  my 
companion,  however,  I  still  continued  to  languish  under 
a  complaint  the  origin  and  nature  of  which  were  still  a 
mystery.  Cut  off  as  I  was  from  all  intercourse  with  the 
civilised  world,  and  feeling  the  inefficiency  of  anything 
the  natives  could  do  to  relieve  me;  knowing  too,  that 
so  long  as  I  remained  in  my  present  condition,  it  would 
be  impossible  for  me  to  leave  the  valley,  whatever 
opportunity  might  present  itself,  and  apprehensive  that 
ere  long  we  might  be  exposed  to  some  caprice  on  the 
part  of  the  Islanders,  I  now  gave  up  all  hopes  of  recov 
ery,  and  became  a  prey  to  the  most  gloomy  thoughts. 
A  deep  dejection  fell  upon  me,  which  neither  the 
friendly  remonstrances  of  my  companion,  the  devoted 
attentions  of  Kory-Kory,  nor  all  the  soothing  influences 
of  Fayaway  could  remove. 

One  morning  as  I  lay  on  the  mats  in  the  house, 
plunged  in  melancholy  reverie  and  regardless  of  every 
thing  around  me,  Toby,  who  had  left  me  about  an  hour, 
returned  in  haste,  and  with  great  glee  told  me  to  cheer 
up  and  be  of  good  heart;  for  he  believed,  from  what 
was  going  on  among  the  natives,  that  there  were  boats 
approaching  the  bay. 

These  tidings  operated  upon  me  like  magic.  The 
140 


SOMETHING    BEFALLS    TOBY  141 

hour  of  our  deliverance  was  at  hand,  and  starting  up,  I 
was  soon  convinced  that  something  unusual  was  about  to 
occur.  The  word,  "botee!  botee!"  was  vociferated  in 
all  directions;  and  shouts  were  heard  in  the  distance,  at 
first  feebly  and  faintly,  but  growing  louder  and  nearer 
at  each  successive  repetition,  until  they  were  caught  up 
by  a  fellow  in  a  cocoa-nut  tree  a  few  yards  off,  who 
sounding  them  in  turn,  they  were  reiterated  from  a 
neighbouring  grove,  and  so  died  away  gradually  from 
point  to  point,  as  the  intelligence  penetrated  into  the 
farthest  recesses  of  the  valley.  This  was  the  vocal  tele 
graph  of  the  islanders,  by  means  of  which  condensed 
items  of  information  could  be  carried  in  a  very  few 
minutes  from  the  sea  to  their  remotest  habitation,  a  dis 
tance  of  at  least  eight  or  nine  miles.  On  the  present  oc 
casion  it  was  in  active  operation,  one  piece  of  informa 
tion  following  another  with  inconceivable  rapidity. 

The  greatest  commotion  now  appeared  to  prevail.  At 
every  fresh  item  of  intelligence  the  natives  betrayed  the 
liveliest  interest,  and  redoubled  the  energy  with  which 
they  employed  themselves  in  collecting  fruit  to  sell  to 
the  expected  visitors.  Some  were  tearing  off  the  husks 
from  cocoa-nuts;  some  perched  in  the  trees  were  throw 
ing  down  bread-fruit  to  their  companions,  who  gathered 
them  into  heaps  as  they  fell;  while  others  were  plying 
their  fingers  rapidly  in  weaving  leafen  baskets  in  which 
to  carry  the  fruit. 

There  were  other  matters  too  going  on  at  the  same 
time.  Here  you  would  see  a  stout  warrior  polishing  his 
spear  with  a  bit  of  old  tappa,  or  adjusting  the  folds  of 
the  girdle  about  his  waist;  and  there  you  might  descry 
a  young  damsel  decorating  herself  with  flowers,  as  if 
having  in  her  eyes  some  maidenly  conquest;  while,  as  in 
all  cases  of  hurry  and  confusion  in  every  part  of  the 


142  TYPEE 

world,  a  number  of  individuals  kept  hurrying  to  and  fro, 
with  amazing  vigour  and  perseverance,  doing  nothing 
themselves,  and  hindering  others. 

Never  before  had  we  seen  the  islanders  in  such  a  state 
of  bustle  and  excitement;  and  the  scene  furnished  abun 
dant  evidence  of  the  fact  that  it  was  only  at  long  in 
tervals  any  such  events  occur. 

When  I  thought  of  the  length  of  time  that  might  inter 
vene  before  a  similar  chance  of  escape  would  be  pre 
sented,  I  bitterly  lamented  that  I  had  not  the  power  of 
availing  myself  effectually  of  the  present  opportunity. 

From  all  that  we  could  gather,  it  appeared  that  the 
natives  were  fearful  of  arriving  too  late  upon  the  beach, 
unless  they  made  extraordinary  exertions.  Sick  and 
lame  as  I  was,  I  would  have  started  with  Toby  at  once, 
had  not  Kory-Kory  not  only  refused  to  carry  me,  but 
manifested  the  most  invincible  repugnance  to  our  leav 
ing  the  neighbourhood  of  the  house.  The  rest  of  the 
savages  were  equally  opposed  to  our  wishes,  and  seemed 
grieved  and  astonished  at  the  earnestness  of  my  solicita 
tions.  I  clearly  perceived  that  while  my  attendant 
avoided  all  appearance  of  constraining  my  movements, 
he  was  nevertheless  determined  to  thwart  my  wish.  He 
seemed  to  me  on  this  particular  occasion,  as  well  as  often 
afterwards,  to  be  executing  the  orders  of  some  other 
persons  with  regard  to  me,  though  at  the  same  time  feel 
ing  towards  me  the  most  lively  affection. 

Toby,  who  had  made  up  his  mind  to  accompany  the 
islanders  if  possible  as  soon  as  they  were  in  readiness 
to  depart,  and  who  for  that  reason  had  refrained  from 
showing  the  same  anxiety  that  I  had  done,  now  repre 
sented  to  me  that  it  was  idle  for  me  to  entertain  the 
hope  of  reaching  the  beach  in  time  to  profit  by  any 
opportunity  that  might  then  be  presented. 


SOMETHING    BEFALLS    TOBY  143 

"Do  you  not  see,"  said  he,  "the  savages  themselves 
are  fearful  of  being  too  late,  and  I  should  hurry  forward 
myself  at  once  did  I  not  think  that  if  I  showed  too 
much  eagerness  I  should  destroy  all  our  hopes  of  reap 
ing  any  benefit  from  this  fortunate  event.  If  you  will 
only  endeavour  to  appear  tranquil  or  unconcerned,  you 
will  quiet  their  suspicions,  and  I  have  no  doubt  they 
will  then  let  me  go  with  them  to  the  beach,  supposing 
that  I  merely  go  out  of  curiosity.  Should  I  succeed  in 
getting  down  to  the  boats,  I  will  make  known  the  con 
dition  in  which  I  have  left  you,  and  measures  may  then 
be  taken  to  secure  our  escape. 

In  the  expediency  of  this  I  could  not  but  acquiesce; 
and  as  the  natives  had  now  completed  their  prepara 
tions,  I  watched  with  liveliest  interest  the  reception 
that  Toby's  application  might  meet  with.  As  soon  as 
they  understood  from  my  companion  that  I  intended  to 
remain,  they  appeared  to  make  no  objection  to  his  prop 
osition,  and  even  hailed  it  with  pleasure.  Their  singu 
lar  conduct  on  this  occasion  not  a  little  puzzled  me  at 
the  time,  and  imparted  to  subsequent  events  an  addi 
tional  mystery. 

The  islanders  were  now  to  be  seen  hurrying  along 
the  path  which  led  to  the  sea.  I  shook  Toby  warmly  by 
the  hand,  and  gave  him  my  Payta  hat  to  shield  his 
wounded  head  from  the  sun,  as  he  had  lost  his  own. 
He  cordially  returned  the  pressure  of  my  hand,  and  sol 
emnly  promising  to  return  as  soon  as  the  boats  should 
leave  the  shore,  sprang  from  my  side,  and  the  next  min 
ute  disappeared  in  a  turn  of  the  grove. 

In  spite  of  the  unpleasant  reflections  that  crowded 
upon  my  mind,  I  could  not  but  be  entertained  by  the 
novel  and  animated  sight  which  now  met  my  view. 
One  after  another  the  natives  crowded  along  the  narrow 


144  TYPEE 

path,  laden  with  every  variety  of  fruit.  Here,  you 
might  have  seen  one  who,  after  ineffectually  endeavour 
ing  to  persuade  a  surly  porker  to  be  conducted  in  lead 
ing  strings,  was  obliged  at  last  to  seize  the  perverse 
animal  in  his  arms,  and  carry  him  struggling  against 
his  naked  breast  and  squealing  without  intermission. 
There  went  two  who  at  a  little  distance  might  have 
been  taken  for  the  Hebrew  spies,  on  their  return  to 
Moses  with  the  goodly  bunch  of  grapes.  One  trotted 
before  the  other  at  a  distance  of  a  couple  of  yards,  while 
between  them,  from  a  pole  resting  on  their  shoulders, 
was  suspended  a  huge  cluster  of  bananas,  which  swayed 
to  and  fro  with  the  rocking  gait  at  which  they  pro 
ceeded.  Here  ran  another,  perspiring  with  his  exer 
tions,  and  bearing  before  him  a  quantity  of  cocoa-nuts, 
who,  fearful  of  being  too  late,  heeded  not  the  fruit  that 
dropped  from  his  basket,  and  appeared  solely  intent 
upon  reaching  his  destination,  careless  how  many  of  his 
cocoa-nuts  kept  company  with  him. 

In  a  short  time  the  last  straggler  was  seen  hurrying 
on  his  way,  and  the  faint  shouts  of  those  in  advance 
died  insensibly  upon  the  ear.  Our  part  of  the  valley 
now  appeared  nearly  deserted  by  its  inhabitants,  Kory- 
Kory,  his  aged  father,  and  a  few  decrepit  old  people 
being  all  that  were  left. 

Towards  sunset  the  islanders  in  small  parties  began 
to  return  from  the  beach,  and  among  them,  as  they  drew 
near  to  the  house,  I  sought  to  descry  the  form  of  my 
companion.  But  one  after  another  they  passed  the 
dwelling,  and  I  caught  no  glimpse  of  him.  Supposing, 
however,  that  he  would  soon  appear  with  some  of  the 
members  of  the  household,  I  quieted  my  apprehensions, 
and  waited  patiently  to  see  him  advancing  in  company 
with  the  beautiful  Fayaway.  At  last  I  perceived  Tinor 


SOMETHING    BEFALLS    TOBY  145 

coming  forward,  followed  by  the  girls  and  young  men 
who  usually  resided  in  the  house  of  Marheyo;  but  with 
them  came  not  my  comrade,  and,  filled  with  a  thousand 
alarms,  I  eagerly  sought  to  discover  the  cause  of  his 
delay. 

My  earnest  questions  appeared  to  embarrass  the 
natives  greatly.  All  their  accounts  were  contradictory, 
one  giving  me  to  understand  that  Toby  would  be  with 
me  in  a  very  short  time;  another  that  he  did  not  know 
where  he  was;  while  a  third,  violently  inveighing 
against  him,  assured  me  that  he  had  stolen  away  and 
would  never  come  back.  It  appeared  to  me,  at  the 
time,  that  in  making  these  various  statements  they  en 
deavored  to  conceal  from  me  some  terrible  disaster,  lest 
the  knowledge  of  it  should  overpower  me. 

Fearful  lest  some  fatal  calamity  had  overtaken  him, 
I  sought  out  young  Fayaway,  and  endeavored  to  learn 
from  her,  if  possible,  the  truth. 

This  gentle  being  had  early  attracted  my  regard,  not 
only  from  her  extraordinary  beauty,  but  from  the 
attractive  cast  of  her  countenance,  singularly  expressive 
of  intelligence  and  humanity.  Of  all  the  natives  she 
alone  seemed  to  appreciate  the  effect  which  the  pecul 
iarity  of  the  circumstances  in  which  we  were  placed  had 
produced  upon  the  minds  of  my  companion  and  myself. 
In  addressing  me  —  especially  when  I  lay  reclining  upon 
the  mats  suffering  from  pain  —  there  was  a  tenderness 
in  her  manner  which  it  was  impossible  to  misunderstand 
or  resist.  Whenever  she  entered  the  house,  the  ex 
pression  of  her  face  indicated  the  liveliest  sympathy  for 
me;  and  moving  towards  the  place  where  I  lay,  with 
one  arm  slightly  elevated  in  a  gesture  of  pity  and  her 
large  glistening  eyes  gazing  intently  into  mine,  she 
would  murmur  plaintively,  "Awha!  awha!  Tommo," 
and  seat  herself  mournfully  beside  me. 


146  TYPEE 

Her  manner  convinced  me  that  she  deeply  compas 
sionated  my  situation,  as  being  removed  from  my  coun 
try  and  friends  and  placed  beyond  the  reach  of  all 
relief.  Indeed,  at  times  I  was  almost  led  to  believe 
that  her  mind  was  swayed  by  gentle  impulses  hardly  to 
be  anticipated  from  one  in  her  condition;  that  she 
appeared  to  be  conscious  there  were  ties  rudely  severed, 
which  had  once  bound  us  to  our  homes;  that  there  were 
sisters  and  brothers  anxiously  looking  forward  to  our 
return,  who  were,  perhaps,  never  more  to  behold  us. 

In  this  amiable  light  did  Fayaway  appear  in  my  eyes; 
and  reposing  full  confidence  in  her  candour  and  intelli 
gence,  I  now  had  recourse  to  her,  in  the  midst  of  my 
alarm,  with  regard  to  my  companion. 

My  questions  evidently  distressed  her.  She  looked 
round  from  one  to  another  of  the  bystanders,  as  if 
hardly  knowing  what  answer  to  give  me.  At  last, 
yielding  to  my  importunities,  she  overcame  her  scruples, 
and  gave  me  to  understand  that  Toby  had  gone  away 
with  the  boats  which  had  visited  the  bay,  but  had  prom 
ised  to  return  at  the  expiration  of  three  days.  At  first 
I  accused  him  of  perfidiously  deserting  me;  but  as  I 
grew  more  composed,  I  upbraided  myself  for  imputing 
so  cowardly  an  action  to  him,  and  tranquillized  myself 
with  the  belief  that  he  had  availed  himself  of  the 
opportunity  to  go  round  to  Nukuheva,  in  order  to  make 
some  arrangement  by  which  I  could  be  removed  from 
the  valley.  At  any  rate,  thought  I,  he  will  return  with 
the  medicines  I  require,  and  then,  as  soon  as  I  recover, 
there  will  be  no  difficulty  in  the  way  of  our  departure. 

Consoling  myself  with  these  reflections,  I  lay  down 
that  night  in  a  happier  frame  of  mind  than  I  had  done 
for  some  time.  The  next  day  passed  without  any  allu 
sion  to  Toby  on  the  part  of  the  natives,  who  seemed 


SOMETHING    BEFALLS    TOBY  147 

desirous  of  avoiding  all  reference  to  the  subject.  This 
raised  some  apprehensions  in  my  breast;  but  when 
night  came,  I  congratulated  myself  that  the  second  day 
had  now  gone  by,  and  that  on  the  morrow  Toby  would 
again  be  with  me.  But  the  morrow  came  and  went, 
and  my  companion  did  not  appear.  Ah!  thought  I,  he 
reckons  three  days  from  the  morning  of  his  departure 
—  to-morrow  he  will  arrive.  But  that  weary  day  also 
closed  upon  me,  without  his  return.  Even  yet  I  would 
not  despair;  I  thought  that  something  detained  him — - 
that  he  was  waiting  for  the  sailing  of  a  boat,  at  Nuku- 
heva,  and  that  in  a  day  or  two  at  farthest  I  should  see 
him  again.  But  day  after  day  of  renewed  disappoint 
ment  passed  by;  at  last  hope  deserted  me,  and  I  fell  a 
victim  of  despair. 

Yes,  thought  I,  gloomily,  he  has  secured  his  own 
escape,  and  cares  not  what  calamity  may  befall  his  un 
fortunate  comrade.  Fool  that  I  was,  to  suppose  that 
any  one  would  willingly  encounter  the  perils  of  this 
valley,  after  having  once  got  beyond  its  limits!  He  has 
gone,  and  has  left  me  to  combat  alone  all  the  dangers  by 
which  I  am  surrounded.  Thus  would  I  sometimes  seek 
to  derive  a  desperate  consolation  from  dwelling  upon 
the  perfidy  of  Toby,  whilst  at  other  times  I  sunk  under 
the  bitter  remorse  which  I  felt  as  having  by  my  own 
imprudence  brought  upon  myself  the  fate  which  I  was 
sure  awaited  me. 

At  other  times  I  thought  that  perhaps  after  all  these 
treacherous  savages  have  made  away  with  him,  and 
thence  the  confusion  into  which  they  were  thrown  by 
my  questions,  and  their  contradictory  answers,  or  he 
might  be  a  captive  in  some  other  part  of  the  valley;  or, 
more  dreadful  still,  might  have  met  with  that  fate  at 
which  my  very  soul  shuddered.  But  all  these  specula- 


148  TYPEE 

tions  were  vain;  no  tidings  of  Toby  ever  reached  me; 
he  had  gone  never  to  return. 

The  conduct  of  the  islanders  appeared  inexplicable. 
All  reference  to  my  lost  comrade  was  carefully  evaded, 
and  if  at  any  time  they  were  forced  to  make  some  reply 
to  my  frequent  inquiries  on  the  subject,  they  would 
uniformly  denounce  him  as  an  ungrateful  runaway,  who 
had  deserted  his  friend,  and  taken  himself  off  to  that 
vile  and  detestable  place,  Nukuheva. 

But  whatever  might  have  been  his  fate,  now  that  he 
was  gone  the  natives  multiplied  their  acts  of  kindness 
and  attention  towards  myself,  treating  me  with  a  degree 
of  deference  which  could  hardly  have  been  surpassed 
had  I  been  some  celestial  visitant.  Kory-Kory  never 
for  one  moment  left  my  side,  unless  it  were  to  execute 
my  wishes.  The  faithful  fellow,  twice  every  day,  in 
the  cool  of  the  morning  and  in  the  evening,  insisted  upon 
carrying  me  to  the  stream  and  bathing  me  in  its  re 
freshing  water. 

Frequently  in  the  afternoon  he  would  carry  me  to  a 
particular  part  of  the  stream,  where  the  beauty  of  the 
scene  produced  a  soothing  influence  upon  my  mind. 
At  this  place  the  waters  flowed  between  grassy  banks, 
planted  with  enormous  bread-fruit  trees,  whose  vast 
branches,  interlacing  overhead,  formed  a  leafy  panopy. 
Near  the  stream  were  several  smooth  black  rocks.  One 
of  these,  projecting  several  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
water,  had  upon  its  summit  a  shallow  cavity  which, 
filled  with  freshly-gathered  leaves,  formed  a  delightful 
couch. 

Here  I  often  lay  for  hours,  covered  with  a  gauze-like 
veil  of  tappa,  while  Fayaway,  seated  beside  me  and 
holding  in  her  hand  a  fan  woven  from  the  leaflets  of  a 
young  cocoa-nut  bough,  brushed  aside  the  insects  that 


SOMETHING    BEFALLS    TOBY  149 

occasionally  lighted  on  my  face,  and  Kory-Kory,  with  a 
view  of  chasing  away  my  melancholy,  performed  a  thou 
sand  antics  in  the  water  before  us. 

As  my  eye  wandered  along  this  romantic  stream,  it 
would  fall  upon  the  half -immersed  figure  of  a  beautiful 
girl,  standing  in  the  transparent  water,  and  catching  in 
a  little  net  a  species  of  diminutive  shell-fish,  of  which 
these  people  were  extravagantly  fond.  Sometimes  a  chat 
tering  group  would  be  seated  upon  the  edge  of  a  low 
rock  in  the  midst  of  the  brook,  busily  engaged  in  thin 
ning  and  polishing  the  shells  of  cocoa-nuts  by  rubbing 
them  briskly  with  a  small  stone  in  the  water,  an  opera 
tion  which  soon  converts  them  into  a  light  and  elegant 
drinking  vessel,  somewhat  resembling  goblets  made  of 
tortoise  shell. 

But  the  tranquillizing  influences  of  beautiful  scenery, 
and  the  exhibition  of  human  life  under  so  novel  and 
charming  an  aspect,  were  not  my  only  sources  of  conso 
lation. 

Every  evening  the  girls  of  the  house  gathered  about 
me  on  the  mats,  and  after  chasing  away  Kory-Kory  from 
my  side  —  who,  nevertheless,  retired  only  to  a  little  dis 
tance  and  watched  their  proceedings  with  the  most  jeal 
ous  attention  —  would  anoint  my  whole  body  with  a 
fragrant  oil,  squeezed  from  a  yellow  root,  previously 
pounded  between  a  couple  of  stones,  and  which  in  their 
language  is  denominated  "aka."  And  most  refreshing 
and  agreeable  are  the  juices  of  the  "aka"  when  applied 
to  one's  limbs  by  the  soft  palms  of  sweet  nymphs,  whose 
bright  eyes  are  beaming  upon  you  with  kindness;  and  I 
used  to  hail  with  delight  the  daily  recurrence  of  this 
luxurious  operation,  in  which  I  forgot  all  my  troubles, 
and  buried  for  the  time  every  feeling  of  sorrow. 

Sometimes  in  the  cool  of  the  evening  my  devoted  ser- 


150  TYPEE 

vitor  would  lead  me  out  upon  the  pi-pi  in  front  of  the 
house,  and  seating  me  near  its  edge,  protect  my  body 
from  the  annoyances  of  the  insects  which  occasionally 
hovered  in  the  air  by  wrapping  me  round  with  a  large 
roll  of  tappa.  He  then  bustled  about,  and  employed 
himself  at  least  twenty  minutes  in  adjusting  everything 
to  secure  my  personal  comfort. 

Having  perfected  his  arrangements,  he  would  get  my 
pipe,  and,  lighting  it,  would  hand  it  to  me.  Often  he 
was  obliged  to  strike  a  light  for  the  occasion,  and  as  the 
mode  he  adopted  was  entirely  different  from  what  I  had 
ever  seen  or  heard  of  before,  I  will  describe  it. 

A  straight,  dry,  and  partly  decayed  stick  of  the  Hi 
biscus,  about  six  feet  in  length,  and  half  as  many  inches 
in  diameter,  with  a  smaller  bit  of  wood  not  more  than  a 
foot  long  and  scarcely  an  inch  wide,  is  as  invariably  to 
be  met  with  in  every  house  in  Typee  as  a  box  of  lucifer 
matches  in  the  corner  of  the  kitchen  cupboard  at  home. 

The  islander,  placing  the  larger  stick  obliquely  against 
some  object,  with  one  end  elevated  at  an  angle  of  forty- 
five  degrees,  mounts  astride  of  it  like  an  urchin  about  to 
gallop  off  upon  a  cane,  and  then  grasping  the  smaller 
one  firmly  in  both  hands,  he  rubs  its  pointed  end  slowly 
up  and  down  the  extent  of  a  few  inches  on  the  principal 
stick,  until  at  last  he  makes  a  narrow  groove  in  the 
wood,  with  an  abrupt  termination  at  the  point  furthest 
from  him,  where  all  the  dusty  particles  which  the  fric 
tion  creates  are  accumulated  in  a  little  heap. 

At  first  Kory-Kory  goes  to  work  quite  leisurely,  but 
gradually  quickens  his  pace,  and  waxing  warm  in  the 
employment,  drives  the  stick  furiously  along  the  smok 
ing  channel,  plying  his  hands  to  and  fro  with  amazing 
rapidity,  the  perspiration  starting  from  every  pore.  As 
he  approaches  the  climax  of  his  effort,  he  pants  and 


SOMETHING    BEFALLS    TOBY  151 

gasps  for  breath,  and  his  eyes  almost  start  from  their 
sockets  with  the  violence  of  his  exertions.  This  is  the 
critical  stage  of  the  operation;  all  his  previous  labours 
are  vain  if  he  cannot  sustain  the  rapidity  of  the  move 
ment  until  the  reluctant  spark  is  produced.  Suddenly 
he  stops,  becomes  perfectly  motionless.  His  hands  still 
retain  their  hold  of  the  smaller  stick,  which  is  pressed 
convulsively  against  the  further  end  of  the  channel 
among  the  fine  powder  there  accumulated,  as  if  he  had 
just  pierced  through  and  through  some  little  viper  that 
was  wriggling  and  struggling  to  escape  from  his  clutches. 
The  next  moment  a  delicate  wreath  of  smoke  curls 
spirally  into  the  air,  the  heap  of  dusty  particles  glow 
with  fire,  and  Kory-Kory,  almost  breathless,  dismounts 
from  his  steed. 

This  operation  appeared  to  me  to  be  the  most  laborious 
species  of  work  performed  in  Typee ;  and  had  I  possessed 
a  sufficient  intimacy  with  the  language  to  have  conveyed 
my  ideas  upon  the  subject,  I  should  certainly  have  sug 
gested  to  the  most  influential  of  the  natives  the  expedi 
ency  of  establishing  a  college  of  vestals  to  be  centrally 
located  in  the  valley,  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  alive 
the  indispensable  article  of  fire,  so  as  to  supersede  the 
necessity  of  such  a  vast  outlay  of  strength  and  good 
temper  as  were  usually  squandered  on  these  occasions. 
There  might,  however,  be  special  difficulties  in  carry 
ing  this  plan  into  execution.. 

What  a  striking  evidence  does  this  operation  furnish 
of  the  wide  difference  between  the  extreme  of  savage 
and  civilised  life.  A  gentleman  of  Typee  can  bring  up 
a  numerous  family  of  children  and  give  them  all  a 
highly  respectable  cannibal  education  with  infinitely 
less  toil  and  anxiety  than  he  expends  in  the  simple  pro 
cess  of  striking  a  light;  whilst  a  poor  European  artisan, 


152  TYPEE 

who  through  the  instrumentality  of  a  lucifer  performs 
the  same  operation  in  one  second,  is  put  to  his  wit's 
end  to  provide  for  his  starving  offspring  that  food 
which  the  children  of  a  Polynesian  father,  without 
troubling  their  parent,  pluck  from  the  branches  of  every 
tree  round  them. 


CHAPTER   XV 
BREAD-FRUIT 

ALL  the  inhabitants  of  the  valley  treated  me  with 
great  kindness;  but  as  to  the  household  of  Marheyo, 
with  whom  I  was  now  permanently  domiciled,  nothing 
could  surpass  their  efforts  to  minister  to  my  comfort. 
To  the  gratification  of  my  palate  they  paid  the  most 
unwearied  attention.  They  continually  invited  me  to 
partake  of  food,  and  when  after  eating  heartily  I  de 
clined  the  viands  they  continued  to  offer  me,  they  seemed 
to  think  that  my  appetite  stood  in  need  of  some  piquant 
stimulant  to  excite  its  activity. 

In  pursuance  of  this  idea,  old  Marheyo  himself  would 
hie  him  away  to  the  sea-shore  by  the  break  of  day,  for 
the  purpose  of  collecting  various  species  of  rare  sea 
weed,  some  of  which  among  these  people  are  considered 
a  great  luxury.  After  a  whole  day  spent  in  this  em 
ployment,  he  would  return  about  nightfall  with  several 
cocoa-nut  shells  filled  with  different  descriptions  of 
kelp.  In  preparing  these  for  use  he  manifested  all  the 
ostentation  of  a  professed  cook,  although  the  chief  mys 
tery  of  the  affair  appeared  to  consist  in  pouring  water 
in  judicious  quantities  upon  the  slimy  contents  of  his 
cocoa-nut  shells. 

The  first  time  he  submitted  one  of  these  saline  salads 
to  my  critical  attention  I  naturally  thought  that  any 
thing  collected  at  such  pains  must  possess  peculiar 
merits;  but  a  mouthful  was  a  complete  dose,  and  great 

153 


i$4  TYPEE 

was  the  consternation  of  the  old  warrior  at  the  rapidity 
with  which  I  ejected  his  Epicurean  treat. 

How  true  it  is  that  the  rarity  of  any  particular  article 
enhances  its  value  amazingly.  In  some  part  of  the  val 
ley  —  I  know  not  where,  but  probably  in  the  neighbour 
hood  of  the  sea  —  the  girls  were  sometimes  in  the  habit 
of  procuring  small  quantities  of  salt,  a  thimbleful  or  so 
being  the  result  of  the  united  labours  of  a  party  of  five 
or  six  employed  for  the  greater  part  of  the  day.  This 
precious  commodity  they  brought  to  the  house,  enveloped 
in  multitudinous  folds  of  leaves,  and  as  a  special  mark 
of  the  esteem  in  which  they  held  me,  would  spread  an 
immense  leaf  on  the  ground,  and  dropping  one  by  one 
a  few  minute  particles  of  the  salt  upon  it,  invite  me  to 
taste  them. 

From  the  extravagant  value  placed  upon  the  article,  I 
verily  believe  that  with  a  bushel  of  common  salt  all 
the  real  estate  in  Typee  might  have  been  purchased. 
With  a  small  pinch  of  it  in  one  hand  and  a  quarter  sec 
tion  of  a  bread-fruit  in  the  other,  the  greatest  chief  in 
the  valley  would  have  laughed  at  all  the  luxuries  of  a 
Parisian  table. 

The  celebrity  of  the  bread-fruit  tree  and  the  conspic 
uous  place  it  occupies  in  a  Typee  bill  of  fare  induce 
me  to  give  at  some  length  a  general  description  of  the 
tree  and  the  various  modes  in  which  the  fruit  is  prepared. 

The  bread-fruit  tree,  in  its  glorious  prime,  is  a  grand 
and  towering  object,  forming  the  same  feature  in  a  Mar- 
quesan  landscape  that  the  patriarchial  elm  does  in  New 
England  scenery.  The  latter  tree  it  not  a  little  resem 
bles  in  height,  in  the  wide  spread  of  its  stalwart  branches, 
and  in  its  venerable  and  imposing  aspect. 

The  leaves  of  the  bread-fruit  tree  are  of  a  great  size, 
and  their  edges  are  cut  and  scalloped  as  fantastically  as 


BREAD-FRUIT  155 

those  of  a  lady's  lace  collar.  As  they  annually  tend 
towards  decay,  they  almost  rival  in  the  brilliant  variety 
of  their  gradually  changing  hues  the  fleeting  shades  of 
the  expiring  dolphin.  The  autumnal  tints  of  our  Ameri 
can  forests,  glorious  as  they  are,  sink  into  nothing  in 
comparison  with  this  tree. 

The  leaf,  in  one  particular  stage,  when  nearly  all  the 
prismatic  colours  are  blended  on  its  surface,  is  often  con 
verted  by  the  natives  into  a  superb  and  striking  head 
dress.  The  principal  fibre  traversing  its  length  being 
split  open  a  convenient  distance,  and  the  elastic  sides  of 
the  aperture  pressed  apart,  the  head  is  inserted  between 
them,  the  leaf  drooping  on  one  side,  with  its  forward 
half  turned  jauntily  up  on  the  brows  and  the  remaining 
part  spreading  laterally  behind  the  ears. 

The  fruit  somewhat  resembles  in  magnitude  and  gen 
eral  appearance  one  of  our  citron  melons  of  ordinary 
size ;  but,  unlike  the  citron,  it  has  no  sectional  lines  drawn 
along  the  outside.  Its  surface  is  dotted  all  over  with 
little  conical  prominences,  looking  not  unlike  the  knobs 
of  an  antiquated  church  door.  The  rind  is  perhaps  an 
eighth  of  an  inch  in  thickness;  and  denuded  of  this,  at 
the  time  when  it  is  in  the  greatest  perfection,  the  fruit 
presents  a  beautiful  globe  of  white  pulp,  the  whole  of 
which  may  be  eaten,  with  the  exception  of  a  slender 
core,  which  is  easily  removed. 

The  bread-fruit,  however,  is  never  used,  and  is  indeed 
altogether  unfit  to  be  eaten,  until  submitted  in  one  form 
or  other  to  the  action  of  fire. 

The  most  simple  manner  in  which  this  operation  is 
performed,  and,  I  think,  the  best,  consists  in  placing  any 
number  of  the  freshly  plucked  fruit,  when  in  a  particular 
stage  of  greenness,  among  the  embers  of  a  fire,  in  the 
same  way  that  you  would  roast  a  potato.  After  the  lapse 


156  TYPEE 

of  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  the  green  rind  embrowns  and 
cracks,  showing  through  the  fissures  in  its  sides  the  milk- 
white  interior.  As  soon  as  it  cools,  the  rind  drops  off, 
and  you  then  have  the  soft  pulp  in  its  purest  and  most 
delicious  state.  Thus  eaten,  it  has  a  mild  and  pleasing 
flavour. 

Sometimes,  after  having  been  roasted  in  the  fire,  the 
natives  snatch  it  briskly  from  the  embers,  and  permitting 
it  to  slip  out  of  the  yielding  rind  into  a  vessel  of  cold 
water,  stir  up  the  mixture,  which  they  call  "bo-a-sho." 
I  never  could  endure  this  compound,  and  indeed  the 
preparation  is  not  greatly  in  vogue  among  the  more  po 
lite  Typees. 

There  is  one  form,  however,  in  which  the  fruit  is  oc 
casionally  served  that  renders  it  a  dish  fit  for  a  king. 
As  soon  as  it  is  taken  from  the  fire  the  exterior  is  re 
moved,  the  core  extracted,  and  the  remaining  part  is 
placed  in  a  sort  of  shallow  stone  mortar  and  briskly 
worked  with  a  pestle  of  the  same  substance.  While  one 
person  is  performing  this  operation,  another  takes  a  ripe 
cocoa-nut,  and  breaking  it  in  half,  which  they  also  do 
very  cleverly,  proceeds  to  grate  the  juicy  meat  into  fine 
particles.  This  is  done  by  means  of  a  piece  of  mother- 
of-pearl  shell,  lashed  firmly  to  the  extreme  end  of  a  heavy 
stick,  with  its  straight  side  accurately  notched  like  a  saw. 
The  stick  is  sometimes  a  grotesquely-formed  limb  of  a 
tree,  with  three  or  four  branches  twisting  from  its  body 
like  so  many  shapeless  legs  and  sustaining  it  two  or 
three  feet  from  the  ground. 

The  native,  first  placing  a  calabash  beneath  the  nose, 
as  it  were,  of  his  curious-looking  log-steed,  for  the  pur 
pose  of  receiving  the  grated  fragments  as  they  fall, 
mounts  astride  of  it  as  if  it  were  a  hobby-horse,  and 
twirling  the  inside  of  one  of  his  hemispheres  of  cocoa-nut 


BREAD-FRUIT  157 

around  the  sharp  teeth  of  the  mother-of-pearl  shell,  the 
pure  white  meat  falls  in  snowy  showers  into  the  recep 
tacle  provided.  Having  obtained  a  quantity  sufficient 
for  his  purpose,  he  places  it  in  a  bag  made  of  the  net-like 
fibrous  substance  attached  to  all  cocoa-nut  trees,  and 
compressing  it  over  the  bread-fruit  —  which,  being  now 
sufficiently  pounded,  is  put  into  a  wooden  bowl  —  ex 
tracts  a  thick  creamy  milk.  The  delicious  liquid  soon 
bubbles  round  the  fruit,  and  leaves  it  at  last  just  peep 
ing  above  its  surface. 

This  preparation  is  called  "kokoo,"  and  a  most  lus 
cious  preparation  it  is.  The  hobby-horse  and  the  pestle 
and  mortar  were  in  great  requisition  during  the  time 
I  remained  in  the  house  of  Marheyo,  and  Kory-Kory 
had  frequent  occasion  to  show  his  skill  in  their  use. 

But  the  great  staple  articles  of  food  into  which  the 
bread-fruit  is  converted  by  these  natives  are  known 
respectively  by  the  names  of  amar  and  poee-poee. 

At  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  when  the  fruit  of  the 
hundred  groves  of  the  valley  has  reached  its  maturity 
and  hangs  in  golden  spheres  from  every  branch,  the 
islanders  assemble  in  harvest  groups  and  garner  in 
the  abundance  which  surrounds  them.  The  trees  are 
stripped  of  their  nodding  burdens,  which,  easily  freed 
from  the  rind  and  core,  are  gathered  together  in  capa 
cious  wooden  vessels,  where  the  pulpy  fruit  is  soon 
worked  by  a  stone  pestle,  vigorously  applied,  into  a 
blended  mass  of  a  doughy  consistency,  called  by  the 
natives  "tutao."  This  is  then  divided  into  separate 
parcels,  which,  after  being  made  up  into  stout  packages, 
enveloped  in  successive  folds  of  leaves,  and  bound  round 
with  thongs  of  bark,  are  stored  away  in  large  receptacles 
hollowed  in  the  earth,  from  whence  they  are  drawn  as 
occasion  may  require. 

In  this  condition  the  tutao  sometimes  remains  for 


158  TYPEE 

years,  and  even  is  thought  to  improve  by  age.  Before  it 
is  fit  to  be  eaten,  however,  it  has  to  undergo  an  additional 
process.  A  primitive  oven  is  scooped  in  the  ground, 
and  its  bottom  being  loosely  covered  with  stones,  a  large 
fire  is  kindled  within  it.  As  soon  as  the  requisite  de 
gree  of  heat  is  attained,  the  embers  are  removed,  and 
the  surface  of  the  stones  being  covered  with  thick  layers 
of  leaves,  one  of  the  larger  packages  of  tutao  is  deposited 
upon  them  and  overspread  with  another  layer  of  leaves. 
The  whole  is  then  quickly  heaped  up  with  earth,  and 
forms  a  sloping  mound. 

The  tutao  thus  baked  is  called  "amar,"  the  action 
of  the  oven  having  converted  it  into  an  amber-coloured 
caky  substance,  a  little  tart,  but  not  at  all  disagreeable 
to  the  taste. 

By  another  and  final  process  the  "amar"  is  changed 
into  "poee-poee."  This  transition  is  rapidly  effected. 
The  amar  is  placed  in  a  vessel  and  mixed  with  water 
until  it  gains  a  proper  pudding-like  consistency,  when, 
without  further  preparation,  it  is  in  readiness  for  use. 
This  is  the  form  in  which  the  "tutao"  is  generally  con 
sumed.  The  singular  mode  of  eating  it  I  have  already 
described. 

Were  it  not  that  the  bread-fruit  is  thus  capable  of 
being  preserved  for  a  length  of  time,  the  natives  might 
be  reduced  to  a  state  of  starvation;  for  owing  to  some 
unknown  cause'  the  trees  sometimes  fail  to  bear  fruit, 
and  on  such  occasions  the  islanders  chiefly  depend  upon 
the  supplies  they  have  been  enabled  to  store  away. 

This  stately  tree,  which  is  rarely  met  with  upon  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  and  at  Tahiti  does  not  abound  to  a 
degree  that  renders  its  fruit  the  principal  article  of  food, 
attains  its  greatest  excellence  in  the  genial  climate  of 
the  Marquesan  group,  where  it  grows  to  an  enormous 
magnitude  and  flourishes  in  the  utmost  abundance. 


CHAPTER    XVI 
AT    THE    TI 

IN  looking  back  to  this  period  and  calling  to  re 
membrance  the  numberless  proofs  of  kindness  and  re 
spect  which  I  received  from  the  natives  of  the  valley, 
I  can  scarcely  understand  how  it  was  that,  in  the  midst 
of  so  many  consolatory  circumstances,  my  mind  should 
still  have  been  consumed  by  the  most  dismal  forebod 
ings  and  have  remained  a  prey  to  the  profoundest  mel 
ancholy.  It  is  true  that  the  suspicious  circumstances 
which  had  attended  the  disappearance  of  Toby  were 
enough  of  themselves  to  excite  distrust  with  regard  to 
the  savages,  in  whose  power  I  felt  myself  to  be  entirely 
placed,  especially  when  it  was  combined  with  the  knowl 
edge  that  these  very  men,  kind  and  respectful  as  they 
were  to  me,  were  after  all  nothing  better  than  a  set  of 
cannibals. 

But  my  chief  source  of  anxiety,  and  that  which  poi 
soned  every  temporary  enjoyment,  was  the  mysterious 
disease  in  my  leg,  which  still  remained  unabated.  All 
the  herbal  applications  of  Tinor,  united  with  the  severer 
discipline  of  the  old  leech  and  the  affectionate  nursing 
of  Kory-Kory,  had  failed  to  relieve  me.  I  was  almost 
a  cripple,  and  the  pain  I  endured  at  intervals  was  ago 
nising.  The  unaccountable  malady  showed  no  signs  of 
amendment;  on  the  contrary,  its  violence  increased  day 
by  day,  and  threatened  the  most  fatal  results .  unless 
some  powerful  means  were  employed  to  counteract  it. 


160  TYPEE 

It  seemed  as  if  I  were  destined  to  sink  under  this  grievous 
affliction,  or  at  least  that  it  would  hinder  me  from  avail 
ing  myself  of  any  opportunity  of  escaping  from  the 
valley. 

An  incident  which  occurred  as  nearly  as  I  can  esti 
mate  about  three  weeks  after  the  disappearance  of  Toby 
convinced  me  that  the  natives,  from  some  reason  or 
other,  would  interpose  every  possible  obstacle  to  my 
leaving  them. 

One  morning  there  was  no  little  excitement  evinced 
by  the  people  near  my  abode,  and  which  I  soon  dis 
covered  proceeded  from  a  vague  report  that  boats  had 
been  seen  at  a  great  distance  approaching  the  bay. 
Immediately  all  was  bustle  and  animation.  It  so  hap 
pened  that  day  that  the  pain  I  suffered  having  some 
what  abated,  and  feeling  in  much  better  spirits  than 
usual,  I  had  complied  with  Kory-Kory's  invitation  to 
visit  the  chief  Mehevi  at  the  place  called  the  "Ti," 
which  I  have  before  described  as  being  situated  within 
the  precincts  of  the  Taboo  Groves.  These  sacred  re 
cesses  were  at  no  great  distance  from  Marheyo's  habita 
tion  and  lay  between  it  and  the  sea,  the  path  that  con 
ducted  to  the  beach  passing  directly  in  front  of  the 
Ti  and  thence  skirting  along  the  border  of  the  groves. 

I  was  reposing  upon  the  mats  within  the  sacred  build 
ing,  in  company  with  Mehevi  and  several  other  chiefs, 
when  the  announcement  was  first  made.  It  sent  a  thrill 
of  joy  through  my  whole  frame  —  perhaps  Toby  was 
about  to  return.  I  rose  at  once  to  my  feet,  and  my 
instinctive  impulse  was  to  hurry  down  to  the  beach, 
equally  regardless  of  the  distance  that  separated  me 
from  it  and  of  my  disabled  condition.  As  soon  as  Mehevi 
noticed  the  effect  the  intelligence  had  produced  upon 
me  and  the  impatience  I  betrayed  to  reach  the  sea,  his 


AT    THE   TI  161 

countenance  assumed  that  inflexible  rigidity  of  expres 
sion  which  had  so  awed  me  on  the  afternoon  of  our 
arrival  at  the  house  of  Marheyo.  As  I  was  proceeding 
to  leave  the  Ti,  he  laid  his  hand  upon  my  shoulder  and 
said  gravely,  "Abo,  abo"  (wait,  wait).  Solely  intent 
upon  the  one  thought  that  occupied  my  mind,  and  heed 
less  of  his  request,  I  was  brushing  past  him,  when  sud 
denly  he  assumed  a  tone  of  authority  and  told  me  to 
"moee"  (sit  down).  Though  struck  by  the  alteration  of 
his  demeanor,  the  excitement  under  which  I  laboured 
was  too  strong  to  permit  me  to  obey  the  unexpected 
command,  and  I  was  still  limping  towards  the  edge  of 
the  pi-pi  with  Kory-Kory  clinging  to  one  arm  in  his 
efforts  to  restrain  me,  when  the  natives  around,  starting 
to  their  feet,  ranged  themselves  along  the  open  front 
of  the  building,  while  Mehevi  looked  at  me  scowlingly 
and  reiterated  his  commands  still  more  sternly. 

It  was  at  this  moment,  when  fifty  savage  counte 
nances  were  glaring  at  me,  that  I  first  truly  experi 
enced  I  was  indeed  a  captive  in  the  valley.  The  con 
viction  rushed  upon  me  with  staggering  force,  and  I 
was  overwhelmed  by  this  confirmation  of  my  worst 
fears.  I  saw  at  once  that,  it  was  useless  for  me  to  resist, 
and  sick  at  heart,  I  reseated  myself  upon  the  mats  and 
for  the  moment  abandoned  myself  to  despair. 

I  now  perceived  the  natives  one  after  the  other  hurry 
ing  past  the  Ti  and  pursuing  the  route  that  conducted 
to  the  sea.  These  savages,  thought  I,  will  soon  be 
holding  communication  with  some  of  my  own  country 
men  perhaps,  who  with  ease  could  restore  me  to  liberty 
did  they  know  of  the  situation  I  am  in.  No  language 
can  describe  the  wretchedness  which  I  felt;  and,  in  the 
bitterness  of  my  soul  I  imprecated  a  thousand  curses  on 
the  perfidious  Toby,  who  had  thus  abandoned  me  to 


1 62  TYPEE 

destruction.  It  was  in  vain  that  Kory-Kory  tempted 
me  with  food,  or  lighted  my  pipe,  or  sought  to  attract 
my  attention  by  performing  the  uncouth  antics  that 
had  sometimes  diverted  me.  I  was  fairly  knocked 
down  by  this  last  misfortune,  which,  much  as  I  had 
feared  it,  I  had  never  before  had  the  courage  calmly  to 
contemplate. 

Regardless  of  everything  but  my  own  sorrow,  I  re 
mained  in  the  Ti  for  several  hours,  until  shouts  pro 
ceeding  at  intervals  from  the  groves  beyond  the  house 
proclaimed  the  return  of  the  natives  from  the  beach. 

Whether  any  boats  visited  the  bay  that  morning  or 
not,  I  never  could  ascertain.  The  savages  assured  me 
that  there  had  not  —  but  I  was  inclined  to  believe  that 
by  deceiving  me  in  this  particular  they  sought  to  allay 
the  violence  of  my  grief.  However  that  might  be,  this 
incident  showed  plainly  that  the  Typees  intended  to 
hold  me  a  prisoner.  As  they  still  treated  me  with  the 
same  sedulous  attention  as  before,  I  was  utterly  at  a  loss 
how  to  account  for  their  singular  conduct.  Had  I  been 
in  a  situation  to  instruct  them  in  any  of  the  rudiments 
of  the  mechanic  arts,  or  had  I  manifested  a  disposition 
to  render  myself  in  any  way  useful  among  them,  their 
conduct  might  have  been  attributed  to  some  adequate 
motive,  but  as  it  was  the  matter  seemed  to  me  inexpli 
cable. 

During  my  whole  stay  on  the  island  there  occurred 
but  two  or  three  instances  where  the  natives  applied  to 
me  with  the  view  of  availing  themselves  of  my  superior 
information.  And  these  now  appear  so  ludicrous  that 
I  cannot  forbear  relating  them. 

The  few  things  we  had  brought  from  Nukuheva  had 
been  done  up  into  a  small  bundle  which  we  had  carried 
with  us  in  our  descent  to  the  valley.  This  bundle, 


AT    THE    TI  163 

the  first  night  of  our  arrival,  I  had  used  as  a  pillow, 
but  on  the  succeeding  morning,  opening  it  for  the 
inspection  of  the  natives,  they  gazed  upon  the  miscel 
laneous  contents  as  though  I  had  revealed  to  them  a 
a  casket  of  diamonds,  and  they  insisted  that  so  precious 
a  treasure  should  be  properly  secured.  A  line  was 
accordingly  attached  to  it,  and  the  other  end  being 
passed  over  the  ridgepole  of  the  house,  it  was  hoisted 
up  to  the  apex  of  the  roof,  where  it  hung  suspended 
directly  over  the  mats  where  I  usually  reclined.  When 
I  desired  anything  from  it  I  merely  raised  my  finger  to 
a  bamboo  beside  me,  and  taking  hold  of  the  string 
which  was  there  fastened,  lowered  the  package.  This 
was  exceedingly  handy,  and  I  took  care  to  let  the  natives 
understand  how  much  I  applauded  the  invention.  Of 
this  package  the  chief  contents  were  a  razor  with  its 
case,  a  supply  of  needles  and  thread,  a  pound  or  two 
of  tobacco,  and  a  few  yards  of  bright-colored  calico. 

I  should  have  mentioned  that  shortly  after  Toby's 
disappearance,  perceiving  the  uncertainty  of  the  time  I 
might  be  obliged  to  remain  in  the  valley  —  if,  indeed, 
I  ever  should  escape  from  it  —  and  considering  that  my 
whole  wardrobe  consisted  of  a  shirt  and  a  pair  of 
trousers,  I  resolved  to  doff  these  garments  at  once,  in 
order  to  preserve  them  in  a  suitable  condition  for  wear 
should  I  again  appear  among  civilised  beings.  I  was 
consequently  obliged  to  assume  the  Typee  costume,  a 
little  altered,  however,  to  suit  my  own  views  of  pro 
priety,  and  in  which  I  have  no  doubt  I  appeared  to  as 
much  advantage  as  a  senator  of  Rome  enveloped  in  the 
folds  of  his  toga.  A  few  folds  of  yellow  tappa,  tucked 
about  my  waist,  descended  to  my  feet  in  the  style  of  a 
lady's  petticoat.  This  usually  comprised  my  in-door 
dress:  whenever  I  walked  out,  I  superadded  to  it  an 


1 64  TYPEE 

ample  robe  of  the  same  material,  which  completely 
enveloped  my  person  and  screened  it  from  the  rays  of 
the  sun. 

One  morning  I  made  a  rent  in  this  mantle;  and  to 
show  the  islanders  with  what  facility  it  could  be  re 
paired,  I  lowered  my  bundle  and,  taking  from  it  a 
needle  and  thread,  proceeded  to  stitch  up  the  opening. 
They  regarded  this  wonderful  application  of  science 
with  intense  admiration;  and  whilst  I  was  stitching 
away,  old  Marheyo,  who  was  one  of  the  lookers-on, 
suddenly  clapped  his  hand  to  his  forehead,  and  rushing 
to  a  corner  of  the  house,  drew  forth  a  soiled  and  tattered 
strip  of  faded  calico  —  which  he  must  have  had  pro 
cured  some  time  or  other  in  traffic  on  the  beach  —  and 
besought  me  eagerly  to  exercise  a  little  of  my  art  upon 
it.  I  willingly  complied,  though  certainly  so  stumpy 
a  needle  as  mine  never  took  such  gigantic  strides  over 
calico  before.  The  repairs  completed,  old  Marheyo 
gave  me  a  paternal  hug;  and  divesting  himself  of  his 
"maro"  (girdle),  swathed  the  calico  about  his  loins, 
and  slipping  the  beloved  ornaments  into  his  ears,  grasped 
his  spear  and  sallied  out  of  the  house,  like  a  valiant 
Templar  arrayed  in  a  new  and  costly  suit  of  armour. 

I  never  used  my  razor  during  my  stay  in  the  island, 
but  although  a  very  subordinate  affair,  it  had  been 
vastly  admired  by  the  Typees;  and  Narmonee,  a  great 
hero  among  them,  who  was  exceedingly  precise  in  the 
arrangements  of  his  toilet  and  the  general  adjustment 
of  his  person,  being  the  most  accurately  tattooed  and 
laboriously  horrified  individual  in  all  the  valley,  thought 
it  would  be  a  great  advantage  to  have  it  applied  to  the 
already  shaven  crown  of  his  head. 

The  implement  they  usually  employ  is  a  shark's  tooth, 
which  is  about  as  well  adapted  to  the  purpose  as  a  one- 


AT    THE    TI  165 

pronged  fork  for  pitching  hay.  No  wonder,  then,  that 
the  acute  Narmonee  perceived  the  advantage  my  razor 
possessed  over  the  usual  implement.  Accordingly  one 
day  he  requested  as  a  personal  favour  that  I  would  just 
run  over  his  head  with  the  razor.  In  reply  I  gave  him 
to  understand  that  it  was  too  dull,  and  could  not  be 
used  to  any  purpose  without  being  previously  sharpened. 
To  assist  my  meaning,  I  went  through  an  imaginary 
honing  process  on  the  palm  of  my  hand.  Narmonee 
took  my  meaning  in  an  instant,  and  running  out  of  the 
house,  returned  the  next  moment  with  a  hugh  rough 
mass  of  rock  as  big  as  a  milestone,  and  indicated  to  me 
that  that  was  exactly  the  thing  I  wanted.  Of  course 
there  was  nothing  left  for  me  but  to  proceed  to  business, 
and  I,  began  scraping  away  at  a  great  rate.  He  writhed 
and  wriggled  under  the  infliction,  but,  fully  convinced  of 
my  skill,  endured  the  pain  like  a  martyr. 

Though  I  never  saw  Narmonee  in  battle,  I  will,  from 
what  I  then  observed,  stake  my  life  upon  his  courage 
and  fortitude.  Before  commencing  operations,  his  head 
had  presented  a  surface  of  short  bristling  hairs,  and  by 
the  time  I  had  concluded  my  unskilful  operation  it  re 
sembled  not  a  little  a  stubble  field  after  being  gone  over 
with  a  harrow.  However,  as  the  chief  expressed  the  live 
liest  satisfaction  at  the  result,  I  was  too  wise  to  dissent 
from  his  opinion. 


CHAPTER   XVII 
SKIRMISH   WITH   THE    HAPPARS 

DAY  after  day  wore  on,  and  still  there  was  no  per 
ceptible  change  in  the  conduct  of  the  islanders  towards 
me.  Gradually  I  lost  all  knowledge  of  the  regular 
occurrence  of  the  days  of  the  week,  and  sunk  insensibly 
into  that  kind  of  apathy  which  ensues  after  some  vio 
lent  outbreak  of  despair.  My  limb  suddenly  healed, 
the  swelling  went  down,  the  pain  subsided,  and  I  had 
every  reason  to  suppose  I  should  soon  completely  recover 
from  the  affliction  that  had  so  long  tormented  me. 

As  soon  as  I  was  enabled  to  ramble  about  the  valley 
in  company  with  the  natives,  troops  of  whom  followed 
me  whenever  I  sallied  out  of  the  house,  I  began  to  ex 
perience  an  elasticity  of  mind  which  placed  me  beyond 
the  reach  of  those  dismal  forebodings  to  which  I  had 
so  lately  been  a  prey.  Received  wherever  I  went 
with  the  most  deferential  kindness,  regaled  perpetually 
with  the  most  delightful  fruits,  ministered  to  by  dark- 
eyed  nymphs,  and  enjoying  besides  all  the  services  of 
the  devoted  Kory-Kory,  I  thought  that  for  a  sojourn 
among  cannibals,  no  man  could  have  well  made  a  more 
agreeable  one. 

To  be  sure  there  were  limits  set  to  my  wanderings. 
Toward  the  sea  my  progress  was  barred  by  an  express 
prohibition  of  the  savages;  and  after  having  made  two 
or  three  ineffectual  attempts  to  reach  it,  as  much  to 
gratify  my  curiosity  as  anything  else,  I  gave  up  the  idea. 

166 


SKIRMISH    WITH    THE    HAPPARS  167 

It  was  in  vain  to  think  of  reaching  it  by  stealth,  since 
the  natives  escorted  me  in  numbers  wherever  I  went, 
and  not  for  one  single  moment  that  I  can  recall  to  mind 
was  I  ever  permitted  to  be  alone. 

The  green  and  precipitous  elevations  that  stood  ranged 
around  the  head  of  the  vale  where  Marheyo's  habitation 
was  situated  effectually  precluded  all  hope  of  escape 
in  that  quarter,  even  if  I  could  have  stolen  away  from 
the  thousand  eyes  of  the  savages. 

But  these  reflections  now  seldom  obtruded  upon  me; 
I  gave  myself  up  to  the  passing  hour,  and  if  ever  disa 
greeable  thoughts  arose  in  my  mind,  I  drove  them  away. 
When  I  looked  around  the  verdant  recess  in  which  I 
was  buried,  and  gazed  up  to  the  summits  of  the  lofty 
eminence  that  hemmed  me  in,  I  was  well  disposed  to 
think  that  I  was  in  the  "Happy  Valley,"  and  that  be 
yond  those  heights  there  was  nought  but  a  world  of  care 
and  anxiety. 

As  I  extended  my  wanderings  in  the  valley  and  grew 
more  familiar  with  the  habits  of  its  inmates,  I  was  fain 
to  confess  that,  despite  the  disadvantages  of  his  condi 
tion,  the  Polynesian  savage,  surrounded  by  all  the  lux 
urious  provisions  of  nature,  enjoyed  an  infinitely  hap 
pier,  though  certainly  a  less  intellectual  existence,  than 
the  self-complacent  European. 

The  naked  wretch  who  shivers  beneath  the  bleak 
skies,  and  starves  among  the  inhospitable  wilds  of  Terra- 
del-Fuego  might  indeed  be  made  happier  by  civilization, 
for  it  would  alleviate  his  physical  wants.  But  the 
voluptuous  Indian,  with  every  desire  supplied,  whom 
Providence  has  bountifully  provided  with  all  the  sources 
of  pure  and  natural  enjoyment,  and  from  whom  are  re 
moved  so  many  of  the  ills  and  pains  of  life  —  what  has 
he  to  desire  at  the  hands  of  Civilisation?  She  may 


1 68  TYPEE 

"cultivate  his  mind,"  may  "elevate  his  thoughts"  — 
these  I  believe  are  the  established  phrases  —  but  will 
he  be  the  happier?  Let  the  once  smiling  and  populous 
Hawaiian  islands,  with  their  now  diseased,  starving,  and 
dying  natives,  answer  the  question. 

In  a  primitive  state  of  society,  the  enjoyments  of  life, 
though  few  and  simple,  are  spread  over  a  great  extent, 
and  are  unalloyed;  but  Civilization  for  every  advan 
tage  she  imparts  holds  a  hundred  evils  in  reserve;  the 
heart-burnings,  the  jealousies,  the  social  rivalries,  the 
family  dissensions,  and  the  thousand  self-inflicted  dis 
comforts  of  refined  life,  which  make  up  in  units  the 
swelling  aggregate  of  human  misery,  are  unknown  among 
these  unsophisticated  people. 

But  it  will  be  urged  that  these  shocking,  unprincipled 
wretches  are  cannibals.  Very  true;  and  a  rather  bad 
trait  in  their  character  it  must  be  allowed.  But  they 
are  such  only  when  they  seek  to  gratify  the  passion  of 
revenge  upon  their  enemies;  and  I  ask  whether  the 
mere  eating  of  human  flesh  so  very  far  exceeds  in  bar 
barity  that  custom  which  only  a  few  years  since  was 
practised  in  enlightened  England:  A  convicted  traitor, 
perhaps  a  man  found  guilty  of  honesty,  patriotism, 
and  suchlike  heinous  crimes,  had  his  head  lopped  off 
with  a  huge  axe,  his  bowels  dragged  out  and  thrown  into 
a  fire,  while  his  body,  carved  into  four  quarters,  was 
with  his  head  exposed  upon  pikes  and  permitted  to  rot 
and  fester  among  the  public  haunts  of  men! 

In  the  altered  frame  of  mind  to  which  I  have  referred, 
every  object  that  presented  itself  to  my  notice  in  the 
valley  struck  me  in  a  new  light,  and  the  opportunities 
I  now  enjoyed  of  observing  the  manners  of  its  inmates 
tended  to  strengthen  my  favorable  impressions.  One 
peculiarity  that  fixed  my  admiration  was  the  perpetual 


SKIRMISH    WITH    THE    HAPPARS  169 

hilarity  reigning  through  the  whole  extent  of  the  vale. 
There  seemed  to  be  no  cares,  griefs,  troubles,  or  vexa 
tions  in  all  Typee.  The  hours  tripped  along  as  gayly 
as  the  laughing  couples  down  a  country  dance. 

There  were  none  of  those  thousand  sources  of  irrita 
tion  that  the  ingenuity  of  civilised  man  has  created  to 
mar  his  own  felicity.  There  were  no  foreclosures  of 
mortgages,  no  protested  notes,  no  bills  payable,  no 
debts  of  honour  in  Typee;  no  unreasonable  tailors  and 
shoemakers,  perversely  bent  on  being  paid;  no  duns  of 
any  description;  no  assault  and  battery  attorneys,  to 
foment  discord,  backing  their  clients  up  to  a  quarrel, 
and  then  knocking  their  heads  together;  no  poor  rela 
tions,  everlastingly  occupying  the  spare  bed-chamber 
and  diminishing  the  elbow-room  at  the  family  table; 
no  destitute  widows  with  their  children  starving  on  the 
cold  charities  of  the  world;  no  beggars;  no  debtors' 
prisons;  no  proud  and  hard-hearted  nabobs  in  Typee; 
or  to  sum  up  all  in  one  word  —  no  Money!  "That  root 
of  all  evil"  was  not  to  be  found  in  the  valley. 

In  this  secluded  abode  of  happiness  there  were  no 
cross  old  women,  no  cruel  step-dames,  no  withered 
spinsters,  no  love-sick  maidens,  no  sour  old  bachelors, 
no  inattentive  husbands,  no  melancholy  young  men,  no 
blubbering  youngsters,  and  no  squalling  brats.  All  was 
mirth,  fun,  and  high  good  humour.  Blue  devils,  hypo 
chondria,  and  doleful  dumps  went  and  hid  themselves 
among  the  nooks  and  crannies  of  the  rocks. 

Here  you  would  see  a  parcel  of  children  frolicking 
together  the  live-long  day,  and  no  quarrelling,  no  con 
tention  among  them.  The  same  number  in  our  own 
land  could  not  have  played  together  for  the  space  of 
an  hour  without  biting  or  scratching  one  another.  There 
you  might  have  seen  a  throng  of  young  females,  not 


lyo  TYPEE 

filled  with  envy  ings  of  each  other's  charms,  nor  dis 
playing  the  ridiculous  affectations  of  gentility,  nor  yet 
moving  in  whalebone  corsets,  like  so  many  automatons, 
but  free,  inartificially  happy,  and  unconstrained. 

There  were  some  spots  in  that  sunny  vale  where  they 
would  frequently  resort  to  decorate  themselves  with 
garlands  of  flowers.  To  have  seen  them  reclining  be 
neath  the  shadows  of  one  of  the  beautiful  groves,  the 
ground  about  them  strewn  with  freshly  gathered  buds 
and  blossoms,  employed  in  weaving  chaplets  and  neck 
laces,  one  would  have  thought  that  all  the  train  of  Flora 
had  gathered  together  to  keep  a  festival  in  honour  of 
their  mistress. 

With  the  young  men  there  seemed  almost  always  some 
matter  of  diversion  or  business  on  hand  that  afforded  a 
constant  variety  of  enjoyment.  But  whether  fishing, 
or  carving  canoes,  or  polishing  their  ornaments,  never 
was  there  exhibited  the  least  sign  of  strife  or  contention 
among  them. 

As  for  the  warriors,  they  maintained  a  tranquil  dignity 
of  demeanour,  journeying  occasionally  from  house  to 
house,  where  they  were  always  sure  to  be  received  with 
the  attention  bestowed  upon  distinguished  guests.  The 
old  men,  of  whom  there  were  many  in  the  vale,  seldom 
stirred  from  their  mats,  where  they  would  recline  for 
hours  and  hours,  smoking  and  talking  to  one  another 
with  all  the  garrulity  of  age. 

But  the  continual  happiness  which  so  far  as  I  was 
able  to  judge  appeared  to  prevail  in  the  valley  sprung 
principally  from  that  all-pervading  sensation  which 
Rousseau  has  told  us  he  at  one  time  experienced,  the 
mere  buoyant  sense  of  a  healthful  physical  existence. 
And  indeed  in  this  particular  the  Typees  had  ample 
reason  to  felicitate  themselves,  for  sickness  was  almost 


SKIRMISH   WITH    THE    HAPPARS  -        171 

unknown.  During  the  whole  period  of  my  stay  I  saw 
but  one  invalid  among  them,  and  on  their  smooth  clear 
skins  you  observed  no  blemish  or  mark  of  disease. 

The  general  repose,  however,  upon  which  I  have  just 
been  descanting  was  broken  in  upon  about  this  time  by  an 
event  which  proved  that  the  islanders  were  not  entirely 
exempt  from  those  occurrences  which  disturb  the  quiet 
of  more  civilised  communities.  Having  now  been  a  con 
siderable  time  in  the  valley,  I  began  to  feel  surprised 
that  the  violent  hostility  subsisting  between  its  inhabi 
tants  and  those  of  the  adjoining  bay  of  Happar  should 
never  have  manifested  itself  in  any  warlike  encounter. 
Although  the  valiant  Typees  would  often  by  gesticula 
tions  declare  their  undying  hatred  against  their  enemies 
and  the  disgust  they  felt  at  their  cannibal  propensities, 
although  they  dilated  upon  the  manifold  injuries  they 
had  received  at  their  hands,  yet  with  a  forbearance 
truly  commendable,  they  appeared  patiently  to  sit  down 
under  their  grievances  and  to  refrain  from  making  any 
reprisals.  The  Happars,  entrenched  behind  their  moun 
tains,  and  never  even  showing  themselves  on  their  sum 
mits,  did  not  appear  to  me  to  furnish  adequate  cause 
for  that  excess  of  animosity  evinced  toward  them  by  the 
heroic  tenants  of  our  vale,  and  I  was  inclined  to  believe 
that  the  deeds  of  blood  attributed  to  them  had  been 
greatly  exaggerated. 

On  the  other  hand,  as  the  clamours  of  war  had  not 
up  to  this  period  disturbed  the  serenity  of  the  tribe,  I 
began  to  distrust  the  truth  of  those  reports  which 
ascribed  so  fierce  and  belligerent  a  character  to  the 
Typee  nation.  Surely,  thought  I,  all  these  terrible 
stories  I  have  heard  about  the  inveteracy  with  which 
they  carried  on  the  feud,  their  deadly  intensity  of 
hatred,  and  the  diabolical  malice  with  which  they  glutted 


1 72  TYPEE 

their  revenge  upon  the  inanimate  forms  of  the  slain  are 
nothing  more  than  fables,  and  I  must  confess  that  I 
experienced  something  like  a  sense  of  regret  at  having 
my  hideous  anticipations  thus  disappointed.  I  felt  in 
some  sort  like  a  'prentice-boy  who,  going  to  the  play  in 
the  expectation  of  being  delighted  with  a  cut-and-thrust 
tragedy,  is  almost  moved  to  tears  of  disappointment  at 
the  exhibition  of  a  genteel  comedy. 

I  could  not  avoid  thinking  that  I  had  fallen  in  with 
a  greatly  traduced  people,  and  I  moralised  not  a  little 
upon  the  disadvantage  of  having  a  bad  name,  which  in 
this  instance  had  given  a  tribe  of  savages  who  were  as 
pacific  as  so  many  lambkins  the  reputation  of  a  confed 
eracy  of  giant-killers. 

But  subsequent  events  proved  that  I  had  been  a  little 
too  premature  in  coming  to  this  conclusion.  One  day 
about  noon,  happening  to  be  at  the  Ti,  I  had  lain  down 
on  the  mats  with  several  of  the  chiefs,  and  had  grad 
ually  sunk  into  a  most  luxurious  siesta,  when  I  was 
awakened  by  a  tremendous  outcry,  and  starting  up  be 
held  the  natives  seizing  their  spears  and  hurrying  out, 
while  the  most  puissant  of  the  chiefs,  grasping  the  six 
muskets  which  were  ranged  against  the  bamboos,  fol 
lowed  after  and  soon  disappeared  in  the  groves.  These 
movements  were  accompanied  by  wild  shouts,  in  which 
"Happar,  Happar,"  greatly  predominated.  The  islanders 
were  now  to  be  seen  running  past  the  Ti  and  striking 
across  the  valley  to  the  Happar  side.  Presently  I  heard 
the  sharp  report  of  a  musket  from  the  adjoining  hills, 
and  then  a  burst  of  voices  in  the  same  direction.  At 
this  the  women,  who  had  congregated  in  the  groves, 
set  up  the  most  violent  clamours,  as  they  invariably  do 
here  as  elsewhere  on  every  occasion  of  excitement  and 
alarm,  with  a  view  of  tranquillizing  their  own  minds  and 


SKIRMISH   WITH    THE    HAPPARS  173 

disturbing  other  people.  On  this  particular  occasion  they 
made  such  an  outrageous  noise,  and  continued  it  with 
such  perseverance,  that  for  a  while,  had  entire  volleys  of 
musketry  been  fired  off  in  the  neighbouring  mountains, 
I  should  not  have  been  able  to  have  heard  them. 

When  this  female  commotion  had  a  little  subsided  I 
listened  eagerly  for  further  information.  At  last  bang 
went  another  shot,  and  then  a  second  volley  of  yells 
from  the  hills.  Again  all  was  quiet,  and  continued  so 
for  such  a  length  of  time  that  I  began  to  think  the  con 
tending  armies  had  agreed  upon  a  suspension  of  hostili 
ties;  when  pop  went  a  third  gun,  followed  as  before 
with  a  yell.  After  this,  for  nearly  two  hours  nothing 
occurred  worthy  of  comment  save  some  straggling  shouts 
from  the  hill-side,  sounding  like  the  halloos  of  a  parcel 
of  truant  boys  who  had  lost  themselves  in  the  woods. 

During  this  interval  I  had  remained  standing  on  the 
piazza  of  the  Ti,  which  directly  fronted  the  Happar 
mountain,  and  with  no  one  near  me  but  Kory-Kory  and 
the  superannuated  savages  I  have  before  described. 
These  latter  never  stirred  from  their  mats,  and  seemed 
altogether  unconscious  that  anything  unusual  was  going 
on. 

As  for  Kory-Kory,  he  appeared  to  think  that  we  were 
in  the  midst  of  great  events,  and  sought  most  zealously 
to  impress  me  with  a  due  sense  of  their  importance. 
Every  sound  that  reached  us  conveyed  some  momentous 
item  of  intelligence  to  him.  At  such  times,  as  if  he 
were  gifted  with  second  sight,  he  would  go  through  a 
variety  of  pantomimic  illustrations,  showing  me  the  pre 
cise  manner  in  which  the  redoubtable  Typees  were  at 
that  very  moment  chastising  the  insolence  of  the  enemy. 
"Mehevi  hanna  pippee  nuee  Happar,"  he  exclaimed 
every  five  minutes,  giving  me  to  understand  that  under 


174  TYPEE 

that  distinguished  captain  the  warriors  of  his  nation  were 
performing  prodigies  of  valour. 

Having  heard  only  four  reports  from  the  muskets,  I 
was  led  to  believe  that  they  were  worked  by  the  islanders 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  Sultan  Solyman's  ponderous 
artillery  at  the  siege  of  Byzantium,  one  of  them  taking 
an  hour  or  two  to  load  and  train.  At  last,  no  sound 
whatever  proceeding  from  the  mountains,  I  concluded 
that  the  contest  had  been  determined  one  way  or  the 
other.  Such  appeared,  indeed,  to  be  the  case,  for  in 
a  little  while  a  courier  arrived  at  the  Ti,  almost  breath 
less  with  his  exertions,  and  communicated  the  news  of 
a  great  victory  having  been  achieved  by  his  countrymen: 
"Happar  poo  awa!  — Happar  poo  awa!"  (the  cowards 
had  fled).  Kory-Kory  was  in  ecstasies  and  commenced 
a  vehement  harangue,  which,  so  far  as  I  understood  it, 
implied  that  the  result  exactly  agreed  with  his  expecta 
tions,  and  which,  moreover,  was  intended  to  convince 
me  that  it  would  be  a  perfectly  useless  undertaking, 
even  for  an  army  of  fire-eaters,  to  offer  battle  to  the 
irresistible  heroes  of  our  valley.  In  all  this  I  of  course 
acquiesced,  and  looked  forward  with  no  little  interest  to 
the  return  of  the  conquerors,  whose  victory  I  feared 
might  not  have  been  purchased  without  cost  to  them 
selves. 

But  here  I  was  again  mistaken;  for  Mehevi,  in  con 
ducting  his  warlike  operations,  rather  inclined  to  the 
Fabian  than  to  the  Bonapartean  tactics,  husbanding  his 
resources  and  exposing  his  troops  to  no  unnecessary 
hazards.  The  total  loss  of  the  victors  in  this  obstinately 
contested  affair  was,  in  killed,  wounded,  and  missing 
—  one  forefinger  and  part  of  a  thumb-nail  (which  the 
late  proprietor  brought  along  with  him  in  his  hand),  a 
severely  contused  arm,  and  a  considerable  effusion  of 


SKIRMISH   WITH    THE    HAPPARS  175 

blood  flowing  from  the  thigh  of  a  chief,  who  had  received 
an  ugly  thrust  from  a  Happar  spear.  What  the  enemy 
had  suffered  I  could  not  discover,  but  I  presume  they 
had  succeeded  in  taking  off  with  them  the  bodies  of 
their  slain. 

Such  was  the  issue  of  the  battle,  as  far  as  its  results 
came  under  my  observation;  and  as  it  appeared  to  be 
considered  an  event  of  prodigious  importance,  I  reason 
ably  concluded  that  the  wars  of  the  natives  were  marked 
by  no  very  sanguinary  traits.  I  afterwards  learned  how 
the  skirmish  had  originated.  A  number  of  the  Happars 
had  been  discovered  prowling  for  no  good  purpose  on 
the  Typee  side  of  the  mountain;  the  alarm  was  sounded, 
and  the  invaders,  after  a  protracted  resistance,  had  been 
chased  over  the  frontier.  But  why  had  not  the  intrepid 
Mehevi  carried  the  war  into  Happar?  Why  had  he  not 
made  a  descent  into  the  hostile  vale  and  brought  away 
some  trophy  of  his  victory  —  some  materials  for  the 
cannibal  entertainment  which  I  heard  usually  terminated 
every  engagement?  After  all,  I  was  much  inclined  to 
believe  that  such  shocking  festivals  must  occur  very  rarely 
among  the  islanders,  if,  indeed,  they  ever  take  place. 

For  two  or  three  days  the  late  event  was  the  theme 
of  general  comment,  after  which  the  excitement  gradu 
ally  wore  away,  and  the  valley  resumed  its  accustomed 
tranquillity. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
MARNOO  APPEARS 

RETURNING  health  and  peace  of  mind  gave  a  new 
interest  to  everything  around  me.  I  sought  to  diversify 
my  time  by  as  many  enjoyments  as  lay  within  reach. 
Bathing  in  company  with  troops  of  girls  formed  one  of 
my  chief  amusements.  We  sometimes  enjoyed  the  recrea 
tion  in  the  waters  of  a  miniature  lake  into  which  the 
central  stream  of  the  valley  expanded.  This  lovely 
sheet  of  water  was  almost  circular  in  figure,  and  about 
three  hundred  yards  across.  Its  beauty  was  indescrib 
able.  All  around  its  banks  waved  luxuriant  masses  of 
tropical  foliage,  soaring  high  above  which  was  to  be 
seen,  here  and  there  the  symmetrical  shaft  of  the  cocoa- 
nut  tree,  surmounted  by  its  tuft  of  graceful  branches 
drooping  in  the  air  like  so  many  waving  ostrich  plumes. 

The  ease  and  grace  with  which  the  maidens  of  the 
valley  propelled  themselves  through  the  water,  and  their 
familiarity  with  the  element,  were  truly  astonishing. 
Sometimes  they  might  be  seen  gliding  along,  just  under 
the' surface,  without  apparently  moving  hand  or  foot  — 
then  throwing  themselves  on  their  sides,  they  darted 
through  the  water,  revealing  glimpses  of  their  forms 
as,  in  the  course  of  their  rapid  progress,  they  shot  for 
an  instant  partly  into  the  air  —  at  one  moment  they 
dived  deep  down  into  the  water  and  the  next  they  rose 
bounding  to  the  surface. 

I  remember  upon  one  occasion  plunging  in  among  a 
176 


MARNOO    APPEARS  177 

parcel  of  these  river-nymphs,  and  counting  vainly  upon 
my  superior  strength,  sought  to  drag  some  of  them 
under  the  water,  but  I  quickly  repented  my  temerity. 
The  amphibious  young  creatures  swarmed  about  me 
like  a  shoal  of  dolphins,  and  seizing  hold  of  my  devoted 
limbs,  tumbled  me  about  and  ducked  me  under  the  sur 
face,  until  from  the  strange  noises  which  rang  in  my 
ears,  and  the  supernatural  visions  dancing  before  my 
eyes,  I  thought  I  was  in  the  land  of  spirits.  I  stood 
indeed  as  little  chance  among  them  as  a  cumbersome 
whale  attacked  on  all  sides  by  a  legion  of  sword-<fish. 
When  at  length  they  relinquished  their  hold  of  me,  they 
swam  away  in  every  direction,  laughing  at  my  clumsy 
endeavours  to  reach  them. 

There  was  no  boat  on  the  lake;  but  at  my  solicitation 
and  for  my  special  use,  some  of  the  young  men  attached 
to  Marheyo's  household,  under  the  direction  of  the  in 
defatigable  Kory-Kory,  brought  up  a  light  and  taste 
fully-carved  canoe  from  the  sea.  It  was  launched  upon 
the  sheet  of  water,  and  floated  there  as  gracefully  as  a 
swan.  But,  melancholy  to  relate,  it  produced  an  effect 
I  had  not  anticipated.  The  sweet  nymphs,  who  had 
sported  with  me  before  in  the  lake,  now  all  fled  its 
vicinity.  The  prohibited  craft,  guarded  by  the  edicts 
of  the  "taboo,"  extended  the  prohibition  to  the  waters 
in  which  it  lay. 

For  a  few  days,  Kory-Kory,  with  one  or  two  other 
youths,  accompanied  me  in  my  excursions  to  the  lake, 
and  while  I  paddled  about  in  my  light  canoe,  would 
swim  after  me  shouting  and  gambolling  in  pursuit. 
But  I  was  ever  partial  to  what  is  termed  in  the  '  Young 
Men's  Own  Book'  "the  society  of  virtuous  and  intel 
ligent  young  ladies,"  and  in  the  absence  of  the  mer 
maids,  the  amusement  became  dull  and  insipid.  One 


1 78  TYPEE 

morning  I  expressed  to  my  faithful  servitor  my  desire 
for  the  return  of  the  nymphs.  The  honest  fellow  looked 
at  me  bewildered  for  a  moment,  and  then  shook  his 
head  solemnly,  and  murmured,  "Taboo!  taboo!"  giving 
me  to  understand  that  unless  the  canoe  was  removed,  I 
could  not  expect  to  have  the  young  ladies  back  again. 
But  to  this  procedure  I  was  averse;  I  not  only  wanted 
the  canoe  to  stay  where  it  was,  but  I  wanted  the  beau 
teous  Fayaway  to  get  into  it  and  paddle  with  me  about 
the  lake.  This  latter  proposition  completely  horrified 
Kory-Kory's  notions  of  propriety.  He  inveighed  against 
it,  as  something  too  monstrous  to  be  thought  of.  It  not 
only  shocked  their  established  notions  of  propriety,  but 
was  at  variance  with  all  their  religious  ordinances. 

However,  although  the  "taboo"  was  a  ticklish  thing 
to  meddle  with,  I  determined  to  test  its  capabilities  of 
resisting  an  attack.  I  consulted  the  chief  Mehevi,  who 
endeavoured  to  dissuade  me  from  my  object;  but  I  was 
not  to  be  repulsed  and  accordingly  increased  the  warmth 
of  my  solicitations.  At  last  he  entered  into  a  long  and 
I  have  no  doubt  a  very  learned  and  eloquent  exposition 
of  the  history  and  nature  of  the  "taboo"  as  affecting  this 
particular  case,  employing  a  variety  of  most  extraordi 
nary  words,  which,  from  their  amazing  length  and 
sonorousness,  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  were  of 
a  theological  nature.  But  all  that  he  said  failed  to 
convince  me  —  partly,  perhaps,  because  I  could  not  com 
prehend  a  word  that  he  uttered,  but  chiefly  that  for  the 
life  of  me  I  could  not  understand  why  a  woman  should 
not  have  as  much  right  to  enter  a  canoe  as  a  man.  At 
last  he  became  a  little  more  rational,  and  intimated  that, 
out  of  the  abundant  love  he  bore  me,  he  would  consult 
with  the  priests  and  see  what  could  be  done. 

.How  it  was  that  the  priesthood  of  Typee  satisfied  .the 


MARNOO    APPEARS  179 

affair  with  their  consciences,  I  know  not;  but  so  it  was, 
and  Fayaway's  dispensation  from  this  portion  of  the 
taboo  was  at  length  procured.  Such  an  event  I  believe 
never  before  had  occurred  in  the  valley;  but  it  was  high 
time  the  islanders  should  be  taught  a  little  gallantry, 
and  I  trust  that  the  example  I  set  them  may  produce 
beneficial  effects.  Ridiculous,  indeed,  that  the  lovely 
creatures  should  be  obliged  to  paddle  about  in  the  water, 
like  so  many  ducks,  while  a  parcel  of  great  strapping 
fellows  skimmed  over  its  surface  in  their  canoes. 

The  first  day  after  Fayaway's  emancipation  I  had  a 
delightful  little  party  on  the  lake  —  the  damsel,  Kory- 
Kory,  and  myself.  My  zealous  body-servant  brought 
from  the  house  a  calabash  of  poee-poee,  half  a  dozen 
young  cocoa-nuts  —  stripped  of  their  husks  —  three 
pipes,  as  many  yams,  and  me  on  his  back  a  part  of  the 
way.  Something  of  a  load;  but  Kory-Kory  was  a  very 
strong  man  for  his  size,  and  by  no  means  brittle  in  the 
spine.  We  had  a  very  pleasant  day;  my  trusty  valet 
plied  the  paddle  and  swept  us  gently  along  the  margin  of 
the  water,  beneath  the  shades  of  the  overhanging 
thickets.  Fayaway  and  I  reclined  in  the  stern  of  the 
canoe,  on  the  very  best  terms  with  one  another;  the 
gentle  nymph  occasionally  placing  her  pipe  to  her  lip, 
and  exhaling  mild  fumes  of  the  tobacco,  to  which, her 
rosy  breath  added  a  fresh  perfume. 

We  floated  about  thus  for  several  hours;  when  I 
looked  up  to  the  warm,  glowing,  tropical  sky,  and  then 
down  into  the  transparent  depths  below;  and  when  my 
eye,  wandering  from  the  bewitching  scenery  around,  fell 
upon  the  grotesquely-tattooed  form  of  Kory-Kory,  and 
finally  encountered  the  pensive  gaze  of  Fayaway,  I 
thought  I  had  been  transported  to  some  fairy  region,  so 
unreal  did  everything  appear. 


i8o  TYPEE 

This  lovely  piece  of  water  was  the  coolest  spot  in  all 
the  valley,  and  I  now  made  it  a  place  of  continual  resort 
during  the  hottest  period  of  the  day.  One  side  of  it 
lay  near  the  termination  of  a  long  gradually  expanding 
gorge,  which  mounted  to  the  heights  that  environed  the 
vale.  The  strong  trade  wind,  met  in  its  course  by  these 
elevations,  circled  and  eddied  about  their  summits,  and 
was  sometimes  driven  down  the  steep  ravine  and  swept 
across  the  valley,  ruffling  in  its  passage  the  otherwise 
tranquil  surface  of  the  like. 

One  day,  after  we  had  been  paddling  about  for  some 
time,  I  disembarked  Kory-Kory  and  paddled  the  canoe 
to  the  windward  side  of  the  lake.  As  I  turned  the 
canoe,  Fayaway,  who  was  with  me,  seemed  all  at  once 
to  be  struck  with  some  happy  idea.  With  a  wild  ex 
clamation  of  delight,  she  disengaged  from  her  person 
the  ample  robe  of  tappa  which  was  knotted  over  her 
shoulder  for  the  purpose  of  shielding  her  frqm  the  sun, 
and  spreading  it  out  like  a  sail,  stood  erect  with  upraised 
arms  in  the  head  of  the  canoe.  We  American  sailors 
pride  ourselves  upon  our  straight  clean  spars,  but  a 
prettier  little  mast  than  Fayaway  made  was  never  shipped 
aboard  of  any  craft. 

In  a  moment  the  tappa  was  distended  by  the  breeze  — 
the  long  brown  tresses  of  Fayaway  streamed  in  the  air  — 
j  and  the  canoe  glided  rapidly  through  the  water  and  shot 
towards  the  shore.  Seated  in  the  stern,  I  directed  its 
course  with  my  paddle  until  it  dashed  up  the  soft  sloping 
bank,  and  Fayaway,  with  a  light  spring,  alighted  on 
the  ground,  whilst  Kory-Kory,  who  had  watched  our 
manoeuvres  with  admiration,  now  clapped  his  hands  in 
transport  and  shouted  like  a  madman.  Many  a  time 
afterwards  was  this  feat  repeated. 

One  afternoon  I  was  lying  in  the  house,  when  I  heard 


MARNOO   APPEARS  181 

a  great  uproar  outside;  but  being  by  this  time  pretty 
well  accustomed  to  the  wild  halloos  which  were  almost 
continually  ringing  through  the  valley,  I  paid  little 
attention  to  it,  until  old  Marheyo,  under  the  influence 
of  some  strange  excitement,  rushed  into  my  presence 
and  communicated  the  astounding  tidings,  "Marnoo 
pemi!"  which  being  interpreted,  implied  that  an  individ 
ual  by  the  name  of  Marnoo  was  approaching.  My 
worthy  old  friend  evidently  expected  that  this  intelli 
gence  would  produce  a  great  effect  upon  me,  and  for  a 
time  he  stood  earnestly  regarding  me,  as  if  curious  to 
see  how  I  should  conduct  myself,  but  as  I  remained 
perfectly  unmoved,  the  old  gentleman  darted  out  of  the 
house  again,  in  as  great  a  hurry  as  he  had  entered  it. 

''Marnoo,  Marnoo,"  cogitated  I,  "I  have  never  heard 
that  name  before.  Some  distinguished  character,  I  pre 
sume,  from  the  prodigious  riot  the  natives  are  making;" 
the  tumultuous  noise  drawing  nearer  and  nearer  every 
moment,  while  "Marnoo!  — Marnoo!"  was  shouted  by 
every  tongue. 

I  made  up  my  mind  that  some  savage  warrior  of  con 
sequence,  who  had  not  yet  enjoyed  the  honour  of  an 
audience,  was  desirous  of  paying  his  respects  on  the 
present  occasion.  So  vain  had  I  become  by  the  lavish 
attention  to  which  I  had  been  accustomed  that  I  felt 
half  inclined,  as  a  punishment  for  such  neglect,  to  give 
this  Marnoo  a  cold  reception,  when  the  excited  throng 
came  within  view,  convoying  one  of  the  most  striking 
specimens  of  humanity  that  I  ever  beheld. 

The  stranger  could  not  have  been  more  than  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  and  was  a  little  above  the  ordinary 
height;  had  he  been  a  single  hair's  breadth  taller,  the 
matchless  symmetry  of  his  form  would  have  been 
destroyed.  His  unclad  limbs  were  beautifully  formed; 


1 82  TYPEE 

whilst  the  elegant  outline  of  his  figure,  together  with 
his  beardless  cheeks,  might  have  entitled  him  to  the 
distinction  of  standing  for  the  statue  of  the  Polynesian 
Apollo;  and  indeed  the  oval  of  his  countenance  and  the 
regularity  of  every  feature  reminded  me  of  an  antique 
bust.  But  the  marble  repose  of  art  was  supplied  by  a 
warmth  and  liveliness  of  expression  only  to  be  seen  in 
the  South  Sea  Islander  under  the  most  favourable  devel 
opments  of  nature.  The  hair  of  Marnoo  was  a  rich 
curling  brown,  and  twined  about  his  temples  and  neck 
in  little  close  curling  ringlets,  which  danced  up  and 
down  continually  when  he  was  animated  in  conversa 
tion.  His  cheek  was  of  a  feminine  softness,  and  his 
face  was  free  from  the  least  blemish  of  tattooing, 
although  the  rest  of  his  body  was  drawn  all  over  with 
fanciful  figures,  which  —  unlike  the  unconnected  sketch 
ing  usual  among  the  natives  —  appeared  to  have  been 
executed  in  conformity  with  some  general  design. 

The  tattooing  on  his  back  in  particular  attracted  my 
attention.  The  artist  employed  must  indeed  have  ex 
celled  in  his  profession.  Traced  along  the  course  of 
the  spine  was  accurately  delineated  the  slender,  taper 
ing,  and  diamond-checkered  shaft  of  the  beautiful  "artu" 
tree.  Branching  from  the  stem  on  either  side,  and  dis 
posed  alternately,  were  the  graceful  branches  drooping 
with  leaves  all  correctly  drawn  and  elaborately  finished. 
Indeed,  this  piece  of  tattooing  was  the  best  specimen  of 
the  fine  arts  I  had  yet  seen  in  Typee.  A  rear  view  of 
the  stranger  might  have  suggested  the  idea  of  a  spread 
ing  vine  tacked  against  a  garden  wall.  Upon  his  breast, 
arms,  and  legs  were  exhibited  an  infinite  variety  of 
figures,  every  one  of  which,  however,  appeared  to  have 
reference  to  the  general  effect  sought  to  be  produced. 
The  tattooing  I  have  described  was  of  the  brightest 


MARNOO    APPEARS  183 

blue,  and  when  contrasted  with  the  light  olive  colour 
of  the  skin  produced  an  unique  and  even  elegant  effect. 
A  slight  girdle  of  white  tappa,  scarcely  two  inches  in 
width,  but  hanging  before  and  behind  in  spreading 
tassels,  composed  the  entire  costume  of  the  .stranger. 

He  advanced  surrounded  by  the  islanders,  carrying 
under  one  arm  a  small  roll  of  the  native  cloth,  and 
grasping  in  his  other  hand  a  long  and  richly  decorated 
spear.  His  manner  was  that  of  a  traveller  conscious 
that  he  is  approaching  a  comfortable  stage  in  his  jour 
ney.  Every  moment  he  turned  good-humoredly  to  the 
throng  around  him,  and  gave  some  dashing  sort  of  reply 
to  their  incessant  queries,  which  appeared  to  convulse 
them  with  uncontrollable  mirth. 

Struck  by  his  demeanor  and  the  peculiarity  of  his 
appearance,  so  unlike  that  of  the  shaven-crowned  and 
face-tattooed  natives  in  general,  I  involuntarily  rose  as 
he  entered  the  house  and  proffered  him  a  seat  on  the 
mats  beside  me.  But  without  deigning  to  notice  the 
civility,  or  even  the  more  incontrovertible  fact  of  my 
existence,  the  stranger  passed  on,  utterly  regardless  of 
me,  and  flung  himself  down  upon  the  farther  end  of  the 
long  couch  that  traversed  the  sole  apartment  of  Mar- 
heyo's  habitation. 

Had  the  belle  of  the  season,  in  the  pride  of  her  beauty 
and  power,  been  cut  in  a  place  of  public  resort  by  some 
supercilious  exquisite,  she  could  not  have  felt  greater 
indignation  than  I  did  at  this  unexpected  slight.  I  was 
thrown  into  utter  astonishment.  The  conduct  of  the 
savages  had  prepared  me  to  anticipate  from  every  new 
comer  the  same  extravagant  expressions  of  curiosity  and 
regard.  This  singularity  of  his  conduct,  however,  only 
roused  my  desire  to  discover  who  this  remarkable  per 
sonage  might  be  who  now  engrossed  the  attention  of 
every  one. 


1 84  TYPEE 

Tinor  placed  before  him  a  calabash  of  poee-poee,  from 
which  the  stranger  regaled  himself,  alternating  every 
mouthful  with  some  rapid  exclamation  which  was  eagerly 
caught  up  and  echoed  by  the  crowd  that  completely 
filled  the  house.  When  I  observed  the  striking  devotion 
of  the  natives  to  him,  and  their  temporary  withdrawal 
of  all  attention  from  myself,  I  felt  not  a  little  piqued. 
The  glory  of  Tommo  is  departed,  thought  I,  and  the 
sooner  he  removes  from  the  valley  the  better.  These 
were  my  feelings  at  the  moment,  and  they  were  prompted 
by  that  glorious  principle  inherent  in  all  heroic  natures 
—  the  strong-rooted  determination  to  have  the  biggest 
share  of  the  pudding  or  go  without  any  of  it. 

Marnoo,  this  all-attractive  personage,  having  satisfied 
his  hunger  and  inhaled  a  few  whiffs  from  a  pipe  which 
was  handed  to  him,  launched  out  into  an  harangue 
which  completely  enchained  the  attention  of  his  auditors. 

Little  as  I  understood  of  the  language,  yet  from  his 
animated  gestures  and  the  varying  expressions  of  his 
features,  reflected  as  from  so  many  mirrors  in  the  coun 
tenances  around  him,  I  could  easily  discover  the  nature 
of  those  passions  which  he  sought  to  arouse.  From 
the  frequent  occurrence  of  the  words  "Nukuheva"  and 
"Frannee"  (French),  and  some  others  with  the  meaning 
of  which  I  was  acquainted,  he  appeared  to  be  rehearsing 
to  his  auditors  events  which  had  recently  occurred  in 
the  neighbouring  bays.  But  how  he  had  gained  the 
knowledge  of  these  matters  I  could  not  understand, 
unless  it  were  that  he  had  just  come  from  Nukuheva  — 
a  supposition  which  his  travel-stained  appearance  not 
a  little  supported.  But,  if  a  native  of  that  region,  I 
could  not  account  for  his  friendly  reception  at  the  hands 
of  the  Typees. 

Never,  certainly,  had  I  beheld  so  powerful  an  exhibi- 


MARNOO   APPEARS  185 

tion  of  natural  eloquence  as  Marnoo  displayed  during 
the  course  of  his  oration.  The  grace  of  the  attitudes 
into  which  he  threw  his  flexible  figure,  the  striking  ges 
tures  of  his  naked  arms,  and  above  all  the  fire  which 
shot  from  his  brilliant  eyes,  imparted  an  effect  to  the 
continually  changing  accents  of  his  voice  of  which  the 
most  accomplished  orator  might  have  been  proud.  At 
one  moment  reclining  sideways  upon  the  mat,  and  lean 
ing  calmly  upon  his  bended  arm,  he  related  circumstan 
tially  the  aggressions  of  the  French  —  their  hostile  visits 
to  the  surrounding  bays,  enumerating  each  one  in  suc 
cession —  Happar,  Puerka,  Nukuheva,  Tior  —  and  then 
starting  to  his  feet  and  precipitating  himself  forward 
with  clenched  hands  and  a  countenance  distorted  with 
passion,  he  poured  out  a  tide  of  invectives.  Falling 
back  into  an  attitude  of  lofty  command,  he  exhorted  the 
Typees  to  resist  these  encroachments,  reminding  them, 
with  a  fierce  glance  of  exultation,  that  as  yet  the  terror 
of  their  name  had  preserved  them  from  attack,  and  with 
a  scornful  sneer  he  sketched  in  ironical  terms  the  won 
drous  intrepidity  of  the  French,  who,  with  five  war- 
canoes  and  hundreds  of  men,  had  not  dared  to  assail  the 
naked  warriors  of  their  valley. 

The  effect  he  produced  upon  his  audience  was  elec 
tric  ;  one  and  all  they  stood  regarding  him  with  spark 
ling  eyes  and  trembling  limbs,  as  though  they  were 
listening  to  the  inspired  voice  of  a  prophet. 

But  it  soon  appeared  that  Marnoo 's  powers  were  as 
versatile  as  they  were  extraordinary.  As  soon  as  he 
had  finished  this  vehement  harangue,  he  threw  himself 
again  upon  the  mats,  and,  singling  out  individuals  in 
the  crowd,  addressed  them  by  name,  in  a  sort  of  banter 
ing  style,  the  humour  of  which,  though  nearly  hidden 
from  me,  filled  the  whole  assembly  with  uproarious 
delight. 


i86  TYPEE 

He  had  a  word  for  everybody;  and,  turning  rapidly 
from  one  to  another,  gave  utterance  to  some  hasty  wit 
ticism,  which  was  sure  to  be  followed  by  peals  of  laugh 
ter.  To  the  females,  as  well  as  to  the  men,  he  addressed 
his  discourse.  Heaven  only  knows  what  he  said  to 
them,  but  he  caused  smiles  and  blushes  to  mantle  their 
ingenuous  faces.  I  am,  indeed,  very  much  inclined  to 
believe  that  Marnoo,  with  his  handsome  person  and 
captivating  manners,  was  a  sad  deceiver  among  the 
simple  maidens  of  the  island. 

During  all  this  time  he  had  never,  for  one  moment, 
deigned  to  regard  me.  He  appeared,  indeed,  to  be 
altogether  unconscious  of  my  presence.  I  was  utterly 
at  a  loss  how  to  account  for  this  extraordinary  conduct. 
I  easily  perceived  that  he  was  a  man  of  no  little  con 
sequence  among  the  islanders  —  that  he  possessed  un 
common  talents,  and  was  gifted  with  a  higher  degree 
of  knowledge  than  the  inmates  of  the  valley.  For 
these  reasons,  I  therefore  greatly  feared  lest  having, 
from  some  cause  or  other,  unfriendly  feelings  toward 
me,  he  might  exert  his  powerful  influence  to  do  me 
mischief. 

It  seemed  evident  that  he  was  not  a  permanent  resi 
dent  of  the  vale,  and  yet,  whence  could  he  have  come? 
On  all  sides  the  Typees  were  girt  in  by  hostile  tribes, 
and  how  could  he  possibly,  if  belonging  to  any  of  these, 
be  received  with  so  much  cordiality? 

The  personal  appearance  of  the  enigmatical  stranger 
suggested  additional  perplexities.  The  face,  free  from 
tattooing,  and  the  unshaven  crown,  were  peculiarities  I 
had  never  before  remarked  in  any  part  of  the  island, 
and  I  had  always  heard  that  the  contrary  were  con 
sidered  the  indispensable  distinctions  of  a  Marquesan 
warrior.  Altogether  the  matter  was  perfectly  incom- 


MARNOO    APPEARS  187 

prehensible  to  me,  and  I  awaited  its  solution  with  no 
small  degree  of  anxiety. 

At  length,  from  certain  indications,  I  suspected  that 
he  was  making  me  the  subject  of  his  remarks,  although 
he  appeared  cautiously  to  avoid  either  pronouncing 
my  name  or  looking  in  the  direction  where  I  lay.  All 
at  once  he  rose  from  the  mats  where  he  had  been  reclin 
ing,  and,  still  conversing,  moved  towards  me,  his  eye 
purposely  evading  mine,  and  seated  himself  within  less 
than  a  yard  of  me.  I  had  hardly  recovered  from  my 
surprise  when  he  suddenly  turned  round  and,  with  a 
most  benignant  countenance,  extended  his  right  hand 
gracefully  towards  me.  Of  course  I  accepted  the  cour 
teous  challenge,  and,  as  soon  as  our  palms  met,  he  bent 
towards  me,  and  murmured  in  musical  accents,  —  "How 
you  do?  How  long  you  been  in  this  bay?  You  like  this 
bay?" 

Had  I  been  pierced  simultaneously  by  three  Happar 
spears,  I  could  not  have  started  more  than  I  did  at 
hearing  these  simple  questions!  For  a  moment  I  was 
overwhelmed  with  astonishment,  and  then  answered 
something,  I  know  not  what;  but  as  soon  as  I  regained 
my  self-possession,  the  thought  darted  through  my  mind 
that  from  this  individual  I  might  obtain  that  informa- 
tioij}  regarding  Toby  which  I  suspected  the  natives  had 
purposely  withheld  from  me.  Accordingly  I  questioned 
him  concerning  the  disappearance  of  my  companion,  but 
he  denied  all  knowledge  of  the  matter.  I  then  enquired 
from  whence  he  had  come?  He  replied,  from  Nuku- 
heva.  When  I  expressed  my  surprise,  he  looked  at  me 
for  a  moment,  as  if  enjoying  my  perplexity,  and  then, 
with  his  strange  vivacity,  exclaimed,  —  "Ah!  me  taboo 
—  me  go  Nukuheva  —  me  go  Tior  —  me  go  Typee  — 
me  go  everywhere  —  nobody  harm  me  —  me  taboo." 


1 88  TYPEE 

This  explanation  would  have  been  altogether  unintel 
ligible  to  me  had  it  not  recalled  to  my  mind  something 
I  had  previously  heard  concerning  a  singular  custom 
among  these  islanders.  Though  the  country  is  possessed 
by  various  tribes  whose  mutual  hostilities  almost  wholly 
preclude  any  intercourse  between  them,  yet  there  are 
instances  where  a  person,  having  ratified  friendly  rela 
tions  with  some  individual  belonging  to  the  valley  whose 
inmates  are  at  war  with  his  own,  may,  under  particular 
restrictions,  venture  with  impunity  into  the  country  of 
his  friend,  where,  under  other  circumstances,  he  would 
have  been  treated  as  an  enemy.  In  this  light  are  personal 
friendships  regarded  among  them,  and  the  individual  so 
protected  is  said  to  be  "taboo,"  and  his  person,  to  a  cer 
tain  extent,  is  held  as  sacred.  Thus  the  stranger  informed 
me  he  had  access  to  all  the  valleys  in  the  island. 

Curious  to  know  how  he  had  acquired  his  knowledge 
of  English,  I  questioned  him  on  the  subject.  At  first, 
for  some  reason  or  other,  he  evaded  the  enquiry,  but 
afterwards  told  me  that  when  a  boy,  he  had  been  car 
ried  to  sea  by  the  captain  of  a  trading  vessel,  with  whom 
he  had  staid  three  years,  living  part  of  the  time  with 
him  at  Sydney,  in  Australia,  and  that,  at  a  subsequent 
visit  to  the  island,  the  captain  had,  at  his  own  request, 
permitted  him  to  remain  among  his  countrymen.  The 
natural  quickness  of  the  savage  had  been  wonderfully 
improved  by  his  intercourse  with  the  white  men,  and 
his  partial  knowledge  of  a  foreign  language  gave  him 
a  great  ascendancy  over  his  less  accomplished  country 
men. 

When  I  asked  the  now  affable  Marnoo  why  it  was 
that  he  had  not  previously  spoken  to  me,  he  eagerly  en 
quired  what  I  had  been  led  to  think  of  him  from  his 
conduct  in  that  respect.  I  replied  that  I  had  supposed 


MARNOO   APPEARS  189 

him  to  be  some  great  chief  or  warrior,  who  had  seen 
plenty  of  white  men  before  and  did  not  think  it  worth 
while  to  notice  a  poor  sailor.  At  this  declaration  of  the 
exalted  opinion  I  had  formed  of  him,  he  appeared  vastly 
gratified,  and  gave  me  to  understand  that  he  had  pur 
posely  behaved  in  that  manner  in  order  to  increase  my 
astonishment  as  soon  as  he  should  see  proper  to  ad 
dress  me. 

Marnoo  now  sought  to  learn  my  version  of  the  story 
as  to  how  I  came  to  be  an  inmate  of  the  Typee  valley. 
When  I  related  to  him  the  circumstances  under  which 
Toby  and  I  had  entered  it,  he  listened  with  evident 
interest;  but  as  soon  as  I  alluded  to  the  absence,  yet 
unaccounted  for,  of  my  comrade,  he  endeavoured  to 
change  the  subject,  as  if  it  were  something  he  desired 
not  to  agitate.  It  seemed,  indeed,  as  if  everything  con 
nected  with  Toby  was  destined  to  beget  distrust  and 
anxiety  in  my  bosom.  Notwithstanding  Marnoo's  de 
nial  of  any  knowledge  of  his  fate,  I  could  not  avoid 
suspecting  that  he  was  deceiving  me;  and  this  suspicion 
revived  those  frightful  apprehensions  with  regard  to  my 
own  fate  which,  for  a  short  time  past,  had  subsided  in 
my  breast. 

Influenced  by  these  feelings,  I  now  felt  a  strong  de 
sire  to  avail  myself  of  the  stranger's  protection,  and 
under  his  safeguard  to  return  to  Nukuheva.  But  as 
soon  as  I  hinted  at  this,  he  unhesitatingly  pronounced 
it  to  be  entirely  impracticable,  assuring  me  that  the 
Typees  would  never  consent  to  my  leaving  the  valley. 
Although  what  he  said  merely  confirmed  the  impres 
sion  which  I  had  before  entertained,  still  it  increased 
my  anxiety  to  escape  from  a  captivity  which,  however 
endurable,  nay,  delightful  it  might  be  in  some  respects, 
involved  in  its  issues  a  fate  marked  by  the  most  fright 
ful  contingencies. 


1 90  TYPEE 

I  could  not  conceal  from  my  mind  that  Toby  had 
been  treated  in  the  same  friendly  manner  as  I  had  been, 
and  yet  all  their  kindness  had  terminated  in  his  myste 
rious  disappearance.  Might  not  the  same  fate  await 
me?  —  a  fate  too  dreadful  to  think  of.  Stimulated  by 
these  considerations,  I  urged  anew  my  request  to  Mar- 
noo;  but  he  only  set  forth  in  stronger  colours  the  im 
possibility  of  my  escape,  and  repeated  his  previous  dec 
laration  that  the  Typees  would  never  be  brought  to 
consent  to  my  departure. 

When  I  endeavoured  to  learn  from  him  the  motives 
which  prompted  them  to  hold  me  a  prisoner,  Marnoo 
again  assumed  that  mysterious  tone  which  had  tormented 
me  with  apprehensions  when  I  had  questioned  him  with 
regard  to  the  fate  of  my  companion. 

Thus  repulsed,  in  a  manner  which  only  served,  by 
arousing  the  most  dreadful  forebodings,  to  excite  me  to 
renewed  attempts,  I  conjured  him  to  intercede  for  me 
with  the  natives  and  endeavour  to  procure  their  consent 
to  my  leaving  them.  To  this  he  appeared  strongly 
averse;  but,  yielding  at  last  to  my  importunities,  he 
addressed  several  of  the  chiefs,  who  with  the  rest  had 
been  eying  us  intently  during  the  whole  of  our  con 
versation.  His  petition,  however,  was  at  once  met  with 
the  most  violent  disapprobation,  manifesting  itself  in 
angry  glances  and  gestures,  and  a  perfect  torrent  of 
passionate  words,  directed  to  both  him  and  myself. 
Marnoo,  evidently  repenting  the  step  he  had  taken, 
earnestly  deprecated  the  resentment  of  the  crowd,  and 
in  a  few  moments  succeeded  in  pacifying  to  some  ex 
tent  the  clamours  which  had  broken  out  as  soon  as  his 
proposition  had  been  understood. 

With  the  most  intense  interest  had  I  watched  the 
reception  his  intercession  might  receive;  and  a  bitter 


MARNOO    APPEARS  191 

pang  shot  through  my  heart  at  the  additional  evidence, 
now  furnished,  of  the  unchangeable  determination  of 
the  islanders.  Marnoo  told  me,  with  evident  alarm  in 
his  countenance,  that  although  admitted  into  the  bay 
on  a  friendly  footing  with  its  inhabitants,  he  could  not 
presume  to  meddle  with  their  concerns,  as  such  a  pro 
cedure,  if  persisted  in,  would  at  once  absolve  the  Typees 
from  the  restraints  of  the  "taboo,"  although  so  long 
as  he  refrained  from  any  such  conduct,  it  screened 
him  effectually  from  the  consequences  of  the  enmity 
they  bore  his  tribe. 

At  this  moment  Mehevi,  who  was  present,  angrily 
interrupted  him;  and  the  words  which  he  uttered,  in  a 
commanding  tone,  evidently  meant  that  he  must  at  once 
cease  talking  to  me  and  withdraw  to  the  other  part  of 
the  house.  Marnoo  immediately  started  up,  hurriedly 
enjoining  me  not  to  address  him  again,  and,  as  I  valued 
my  safety,  to  refrain  from  all  further  allusion  to  the 
subject  of  my  departure;  and  then,  in  compliance  with 
the  order  of  the  determined  chief,  but  not  before  it  had 
been  angrily  repeated,  he  withdrew  to  a  distance. 

I  now  perceived,  with  no  small  degree  of  apprehen 
sion,  the  same  savage  expression  in  the  countenance  of 
the  natives  which  had  startled  me  during  the  scene  at 
the  Ti.  They  glanced  their  eyes  suspiciously  from 
Marnoo  to  me,  as  if  distrusting  the  nature  of  an  inter 
course  carried  on,  as  it  was,  in  a  language  they  could 
not  understand,  and  they  seemed  to  harbour  the  belief 
that  already  we  had  concerted  measures  calculated  to 
elude  their  vigilance. 

The  lively  countenances  of  these  people  are  wonder 
fully  indicative  of  the  emotions  of  the  soul,  and  the 
imperfections  of  their  oral  language  are  more  than  com 
pensated  for  by  the  nervous  eloquence  of  their  books  and 


192  TYPEE 

gestures.  I  could  plainly  trace,  in  every  varying  ex 
pression  of  their  faces,  all  those  passions  which  had 
been  thus  unexpectedly  aroused  in  their  bosoms. 

It  required  no  reflection  to  convince  me,  from  what 
was  going  on,  that  the  injunction  of  Marnoo  was  not  to 
be  rashly  slighted;  and  accordingly,  great  as  was  the 
effort  to  suppress  my  feelings,  I  accosted  Mehevi  in 
a  good-humoured  tone,  and  with  a  view  of  dissipating  any 
ill  impression  he  might  have  received.  But  the  ireful, 
angry  chief  was  not  so  easily  mollified.  He  rejected 
my  advances  with  that  peculiarly  stern  expression  I 
have  before  described,  and  took  care  by  the  whole  of  his 
behaviour  towards  me  to  show  the  displeasure  and  re 
sentment  which  he  felt. 

Marnoo,  at  the  other  extremity  of  the  house,  appar 
ently  desirous  of  making  a  diversion  in  my  favour,  ex 
erted  himself  to  amuse  with  his  pleasantries  the  crowd 
about  him;  but  his  lively  attempts  were  not  so  success 
ful  as  they  had  previously  been,  and,  foiled  in  his  efforts, 
he  rose  gravely  to  depart.  No  one  expressed  any  regret 
at  this  movement,  so  seizing  his  roll  of  tappa,  and  grasp 
ing  his  spear,  he  advanced  to  the  front  of  the  pi-pi,  and 
waving  his  hand  in  adieu  to  the  now  silent  throng,  cast 
upon  me  a  glance  of  mingled  pity  and  reproach  and 
flung  himself  into  the  path  which  led  from  the  house. 
I  watched  his  receding  figure  until  it  was  lost  in  the 
obscurity  of  the  grove,  and  then  gave  myself  up  to  the 
most  desponding  reflections. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

/ 

BATTLE    OF    THE    POP-GUNS 

THE  knowledge  I  had  now  obtained  as  to  the  inten 
tion  of  the  savages  deeply  affected  me. 

Marnoo,  I  perceived,  was  a  man  who,  by  reason  of  his 
superior  acquirements,  and  the  knowledge  he  possessed 
of  the  events  which  were  taking  place  in  the  different 
bays  of  the  island,  was  held  in  no  little  estimation  by 
the  inhabitants  of  the  valley.  He  had  been  received 
with  the  most  cordial  welcome  and  respect.  The  na 
tives  had  hung  upon  the  accents  of  his  voice,  and  had 
manifested  the  highest  gratification  at  being  individu 
ally  noticed  by  him.  And  yet,  despite  all  this,  a  few 
words  urged  in  my  behalf  with  the  intent  of  obtaining 
my  release  from  captivity  had  sufficed  not  only  to 
banish  all  harmony  and  good-will,  but  if  I  could  be 
lieve  what  he  told. me,  had  gone  nigh  to  endanger  his 
own  personal  safety. 

How  strongly  rooted,  then,  must  be  the  determination 
of  the  Typees  with  regard  to  me,  and  how  suddenly 
could  they  display  the  strangest  passions!  The  mere 
suggestion  of  my  departure  had  estranged  from  me,  for 
the  time  at  least,  Mehevi,  who  was  the  most  influential 
of  all  the  chiefs,  and  who  had  previously  exhibited  so 
many  instances  of  his  friendly  sentiments.  The  rest  of 
the  natives  had  likewise  evinced  their  strong  repugnance 
to  my  wishes,  and  even  Kory-Kory  himself  seemed  to 
share  in  the  general  disapprobation  bestowed  upon  me. 

193 


194  TYPEE 

In  vain  I  racked  my  invention  to  find  out  some  motive 
for  the  strange  desire  these  people  manifested  to  retain 
me  among  them;  but  I  could  discover  none. 

But,  however  this  might  be,  the  scene  which  had  just 
occurred  admonished  me  of  the  danger  of  trifling  with 
the  wayward  and  passionate  spirits  against  whom  it  was 
vain  to  struggle,  and  might  even  be  fatal  to  do  so.  My 
only  hope  was  to  induce  the  natives  to  believe  that  I 
was  reconciled  to  my  detention  in  the  valley,  and  by 
assuming  a  tranquil  and  cheerful  demeanour  to  allay 
the  suspicions  which  I  had  so  unfortunately  aroused. 
Their  confidence  revived,  they  might  in  a  short  time 
remit  in  some  degree  their  watchfulness  over  my  move 
ments,  and  I  should  then  be  the  better  enabled  to  avail 
myself  of  any  opportunity  which  presented  itself  for 
escape.  I  determined,  therefore,  to  ma^ke  the  best  of  a 
bad  bargain,  and  to  bear  up  manfully  against  whatever 
might  betide.  In  this  endeavour  I  succeeded  beyond 
my  own  expectations.  At  the  period  of  Marnoo's  visit, 
I  had  been  in  the  valley,  as  nearly  as  I  could  conjecture, 
some  two  months.  Although  not  completely  recovered 
from  my  strange  illness,  which  still  .lingered  about  me, 
I  was  free  from  pain  and  able  to  take  exercise.  In  short, 
I  had  every  reason  to  anticipate  a  perfect  recovery. 
Freed  from  apprehensions  on  this  point,  and  resolved 
to  regard  the  future  without  flinching,  I  flung  myself 
anew  into  all  the  social  pleasures  of  the  valley,  and 
sought  to  bury  all  regrets,  and  all  remembrances  of  my 
previous  existence,  in  the  wild  enjoyments  it  afforded. 

In  my  various  wanderings  through  the  vale,  and  as  I 
became  better  acquainted  with  the  character  of  its  in 
habitants,  I  was  more  and  more  struck  with  the  light- 
hearted  joyousness  that  everywhere  prevailed.  The 
minds  of  these  simple  savages,  unoccupied  by  matters 


BATTLE    OF    THE    POP-GUNS  195 

of  graver  moment,  were  capable  of  deriving  the  utmost 
delight  from  circumstances  which  would  have  passed 
unnoticed  in  more  intelligent  communities.  All  their  en 
joyment,  indeed,  seemed  to  be  made  up  of  the  little 
trifling  incidents  of  the  passing  hour;  but  these  dimin 
utive  items  swelled  altogether  to  an  amount  of  happi 
ness  seldom  experienced  by  more  enlightened  individuals, 
whose  pleasures  are  drawn  from  more  elevated  but  rarer 
sources. 

What  community,  for  instance,  of  refined  and  intel 
lectual  mortals  would  derive  the  least  satisfaction  from 
shooting  pop-guns?  The  mere  supposition  of  such  a 
thing  being  possible  would  excite  their  indignation;  and 
yet  the  whole  population  of  Typee  did  little  else  for 
ten  days  but  occupy  themselves  with  that  childish 
amusement,  fairly  screaming,  too,  with  the  delight  it 
afforded  them. 

One  day  I  was  frolicking  with  a  little  spirited  urchin, 
some  six  years  old,  who  chased  me  with  a  piece  of  bam 
boo  about  three  feet  long,  with  which  he  occasionally 
belaboured  me.  Seizing  the  stick  from  him,  the  idea 
happened  to  suggest  itself  that  I  might  make  for  the 
youngster,  out  of  the  slender  tube,  one  of  those  nursery 
muskets  with  which  I  had  sometimes  seen  children  play 
ing.  Accordingly,  with  my  knife  I  made  two  parallel 
slits  in  the  cane  several  inches  in  length,  and  cutting 
loose  at  one  end  the  elastic  strip  between  them,  bent  it 
back  and  slipped  the  point  into  a  little  notch  made  for 
the  purpose.  Any  small  substance  placed  against  this 
would  be  projected  with  considerable  force  through  the 
tube  by  merely  springing  the  bent  strip  out  of  the 
notch. 

Had  I  possessed  the  remotest  idea  of  the  sensation 
this  piece  of  ordnance  was  destined  to  produce,  I  should 


196  TYPEE 

certainly  have  taken  out  a  patent  for  the  invention.  The 
boy  scampered  away  with  it,  half  delirious  with  ecstasy, 
and  in  twenty  minutes  afterwards  I  might  have  been 
seen  surounded  by  a  noisy  crowd  —  venerable  grey 
beards  —  responsible  fathers  of  families  —  valiant  war 
riors —  matrons  —  young  men  —  girls  and  children,  all 
holding  in  their  hand  bits  of  bamboo,  and  each  clamour 
ing  to  be  served  first. 

For  three  or  four  hours  I  was  engaged  in  manufactur 
ing  pop-guns,  but  at  last  made  over  my  good-will  and 
interest  in  the  concern  to  a  lad  of  remarkably  quick 
parts,  whom  I  soon  initiated  into  the  art  and  mystery. 

Pop,  Pop,  Pop,  Pop,  now  resounded  all  over  the  val 
ley.  Duels,  skirmishes,  pitched  battles,  and  general  en 
gagements  were  to  be  seen  on  every  side.  Here,  as 
you  walked  along  a  path  which  led  through  a  thicket, 
you  fell  into  a  cunningly-laid  ambush,  and  became  a 
target  for  a  body  of  musketeers  whose  tattooed  limbs 
you  could  just  see  peeping  into  view  through  the  foliage. 
There,  you  were  assailed  by  the  intrepid  garrison  of  a 
house,  who  levelled  their  bamboo  rifles  at  you  from 
between  the  upright  canes  which  composed  its  sides. 
Farther  on  you  were  fired  upon  by  a  detachment  of 
sharpshooters,  mounted  upon  the  top  of  a  pi-pi. 

Pop,  Pop,  Pop,  Pop!  green  guavas,  seeds,  and  berries 
were  flying  about  in  every  direction,  and  during  this 
dangerous  state  of  affairs  I  was  half  afraid  that,  like  the 
man  and  his  brazen  bull,  I  should  fall  a  victim  to  my 
own  ingenuity.  Like  everything  else,  however,  the  ex 
citement  gradually  wore  away,  though  ever  after  occa 
sional  pop-guns  might  be  heard  at  all  hours  of  the  day. 

It  was  towards  the  close  of  the  pop-gun  war  that  I 
was  infinitely  diverted  with  a  strange  freak  of  Marheyo's. 

I  had  worn,  when  I  quitted  the  ship,  a  pair  of  thick 


BATTLE    OF    THE    POP-GUNS  ,  197 

pumps,  which,  from  the  rough  usage  they  had  received 
in  scaling  precipices  and  sliding  down  gorges,  were  so 
dilapidated  as  to  be  altogether  unfit  for  use  —  so,  at 
least,  would  have  thought  the  generality  of  people,  and 
so  they  most  certainly  were  when  considered  in  the 
light  of  shoes.  But  things  unserviceable  in  one  way 
may  with  advantage  be  applied  in  another,  that  is  if 
one  have  genius  enough  for  the  purpose.  This  genius 
Marheyo  possessed  in  a  superlative  degree,  as  he  abun 
dantly  evinced  by  the  use  to  which  he  put  these  sorely 
bruised  and  battered  old  shoes. 

Every  article,  however  trivial,  which  belonged  to  me 
the  natives  appeared  to  regard  as  sacred;  and  I  observed 
that  for  several  days  after  becoming  an  inmate  of  the 
house,  my  pumps  were  suffered  to  remain,  untouched, 
where  I  had  first  happened  to  throw  them.  I  remem 
bered,  however,  that  after  a  while  I  had  missed  them 
from  their  accustomed  place;  but  the  matter  gave  me 
no  concern,  supposing  that  Tinor  —  like  any  other  tidy 
housewife,  having  come  across  them  in  some  of  her 
domestic  occupations  —  had  pitched  the  useless  things 
out  of  the  house.  But  I  was  soon  undeceived. 

One  day  I  observed  Marheyo  bustling  about  me  with 
unusual  activity,  and  to  such  a  degree  as  almost  to  super 
sede  Kory-Kory  in  the  functions  of  his  office.  One 
moment  he  volunteered  to  trot  off  with  me  on  his  back 
to  the  stream;  and  when  I  refused,  noways  daunted 
by  the  repulse  he  continued  to  frisk  about  me  like  a 
superannuated  house-dog.  I  could  not  for  the  life  of 
me  conjecture  what  possessed  the  old  gentleman,  until  all 
at  once,  availing  himself  of  the  temporary  absence  of  the 
household,  he  went  through  a  variety  of  uncouth  ges 
tures,  pointing  eagerly  down  to  my  feet,  and  then  up 
to  a  little  bundle  which  swung  from  the  ridge-pole  over- 


198  TYPEE 

head.  At  last  I  caught  a  faint  idea  of  his  meaning,  and 
motioned  him  to  lower  the  package.  He  executed  the 
order  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  and  unrolling  a  piece 
of  tappa  displayed  to  my  astonished  gaze  the  identi 
cal  pumps  which  I  thought  had  been  destroyed  long 
before. 

I  immediately  comprehended  his  desires,  and  very 
generously  gave  him  the  shoes,  which  had  become  quite 
mouldy,  wondering  for  what  earthly  purpose  he  could 
want  them. 

The  same  afternoon  I  descried  the  venerable  warrior 
approaching  the  house  with  a  slow,  stately  gait,  ear 
rings  in  ears  and  spear  in  hand,  with  this  highly  orna 
mental  pair  of  shoes  suspended  from  his  neck  by  a  strip 
of  bark,  and  swinging  backwards  and  forwards  on  his 
capacious  chest.  In  the  gala  costume  of  the  tasteful 
Marheyo,  these  calf-skin  pendants  ever  after  formed  the 
most  striking  feature. 

But  to  turn  to  something  a  little  more  important. 
Although  the  whole  existence  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
valley  seemed  to  pass  away  exempt  from  toil,  yet  there 
were  some  light  employments  which,  although  amusing 
rather  than  laborious  as  occupations,  contributed  to 
their  comfort  and  luxury.  Among  these  the  most  im 
portant  was  the  manufacture  of  the  native  cloth  — 
"tappa,"  —  so  well  known,  under  various  modifications, 
throughout  the  whole  Polynesian  Archipelago.  As  is 
generally  understood,  this  useful  and  sometimes  elegant 
article  is  fabricated  from  the  bark  of  different  trees. 
But,  as  I  believe  that  no  description  of  its  manufacture 
has  ever  been  given,  I  shall  state  what  I  know  regard 
ing  it. 

In  the  manufacture  of  the  beautiful  white  tappa  gen 
erally  worn  on  the  Marquesan  Islands,  the  preliminary 


BATTLE   OF    THE   POP-GUNS  199 

operation  consists  in  gathering  a  certain  quantity  of  the 
young  branches  of  the  cloth-tree.  The  exterior  green 
bark  being  pulled  off  as  worthless,  there  remains  a  slen 
der  fibrous  substance,  which  is  carefully  stripped  from 
the  stick,  to  which  it  closely  adheres.  When  a  suffi 
cient  quantity  of  it  has  been  collected,  the  various  strips 
are  enveloped  in  a  covering  of  large  leaves,  which  the 
natives  use  precisely  as  we  do  wrapping-paper,  and 
which  are  secured  by  a  few  turns  of  a  line  passed  round 
them.  The  package  is  then  laid  in  the  bed  of  some 
running  stream,  with  a  heavy  stone  placed  over  it  to 
prevent  its  being  swept  away.  After  it  has  remained 
for  two  or  three  days  in  this  state,  it  is  drawn  out  and 
exposed,  for  a  short  time,  to  the  action  of  the  air,  every 
distinct  piece  being  attentively  inspected  with  a  view 
of  ascertaining  whether  it  has  yet  been  sufficiently  af 
fected  by  the  operation.  This  is  repeated  again  and 
again  until  the  desired  result  is  obtained. 

When  the  substance  is  in  a  proper  state  for  the  next 
process,  it  betrays  evidences  of  incipient  decomposition; 
the  fibres  are  relaxed  and  softened  and  rendered  per 
fectly  malleable.  The  different  strips  are  now  extended 
one  by  one,  in  successive  layers,  upon  some  smooth  sur 
face  —  generally  the  prostrate  trunk  of  a  cocoa-nut  tree 
—  and  the  heap  thus  formed  is  subjected,  at  every  new 
increase,  to  a  moderate  beating,  with  a  sort  of  wooden 
mallet,  leisurely  applied.  The  mallet  is  made  of  a  hard 
heavy  wood  resembling  ebony,  is  about  twelve  inches  in 
length  and  perhaps  two  in  breadth,  with  a  rounded 
handle  at  one  end,  and  in  shape  is  the  exact  counterpart 
of  one  of  our  four-sided  razor-strops.  The  flat  surfaces 
of  the  implement  are  marked  with  shallow  parallel  in 
dentations,  varying  in  depth  on  the  different  sides  so 
as  to  be  adapted  to  the  several  stages  of  the  operation. 


200  TYPEE 

These  marks  produce  the  corduroy  sort  of  stripes  dis 
cernible  in  the  tappa  in  its  finished  state.  After  being 
beaten  in  the  manner  I  have  described,  the  material 
soon  becomes  blended  in  one  mass,  which,  moistened 
occasionally  with  water,  is  at  intervals  hammered  out,  by 
a  kind  of  gold-beating  process,  to  any  degree  of  thin 
ness  required.  In  this  way  the  cloth  is  easily  made  to 
vary  in  strength  and  thickness,  so  as  to  suit  the  numer 
ous  purposes  to  which  it  is  applied. 

When  the  operation  last  described  has  been  concluded, 
the  new-made  tappa  is  spread  out  on  the  grass  to  bleach 
and  dry,  and  soon  becomes  of  a  dazzling  whiteness. 
Sometimes,  in  the  first  stages  of  the  manufacture,  the 
substance  is  impregnated  with  a  vegetable  juice,  which 
gives  it  a  permanent  colour.  A  rich  brown  and  a  bright 
yellow  are  occasionally  seen,  but  the  simple  taste  of  the 
Typee  people  inclines  them  to  prefer  the  natural  tint. 

The  notable  wife  of  Kamehameha,  the  renowned  con 
queror  and  king  of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  used  to  pride 
herself  in  the  skill  she  displayed  in  dyeing  her  tappa 
with  contrasting  colours  disposed  in  regular  figures;  and, 
in  the  midst  of  the  innovations  of  the  times,  was  regarded 
towards  the  decline  of  her  life,  as  a  lady  of  the  old 
school,  clinging  as  she  did  to  the  national  cloth  in  pref 
erence  to  the  frippery  of  the  European  calicoes.  But 
the  art  of  printing  the  tappa  is  unknown  upon  the  Mar- 
quesan  Islands. 

In  passing  along  the  valley  I  was  often  attracted  by 
the  noise  of  the  mallet  which,  when  employed  in  the 
manufacture  of  the  cloth,  produces  at  every  stroke  of 
its  hard,  heavy  wood,  a  clear  ringing  and  musical  sound, 
capable  of  being  heard  at  a  great  distance.  When  sev 
eral  of  these  implements  happen  to  be  in  operation  at 
the  same  time,  and  near  one  another,  the  effect  upon  the 
ear  of  a  person  at  a  little  distance  is  really  charming. 


CHAPTER   XX 
A   DAY   IN   THE   VALLEY 

NOTHING  can  be  more  uniform  and  undiversified  than 
the  life  of  the  Typees;  one  tranquil  day  of  ease  and 
happiness  follows  another  in  quiet  succession;  and  with 
these  unsophisticated  savages  the  history  of  a  day  is  the 
history  of  a  life.  I  will,  therefore,  as  briefly  as  I  can, 
describe  one  of  our  days  in  the  valley. 

*To  begin  with  the  morning  We  were  not  very  early 
risers  —  the  sun  would  be  shooting  his  golden  spikes 
above  the  Happar  mountain  ere  I  threw  aside  my  tappa 
robe,  and  girding  my  long  tunic  about  my  waist,  sallied 
out  with  Fayaway  and  Kory-Kory  and  the  rest  of  the 
household  and  bent  my  steps  towards  the  stream.  Here 
we  found  congregated  all  those  who  dwelt  in  our  section 
of  the  valley ;  and  here  we  bathed  with  them.  The  fresh 
morning  air  and  the  cool  flowing  waters  put  both  soul 
and  body  in  a  glow,  and  after  a  half -hour  employed  in 
this  recreation  we  sauntered  back  to  the  house  —  Tinor 
and  Marheyo  gathering  dry  sticks  by  the  way  for  fire 
wood;  some  of  the  young  men  laying  the  cocoa-nut  trees 
under  contribution  as  they  passed  beneath  them;  while 
Kory-Kory  played  his  outlandish  pranks  for  my  particu 
lar  diversion,  and  Fayaway  and  I,  not  arm  in  arm  to  be 
sure,  but  sometimes  hand  in  hand,  strolled  along,  with 
feelings  of  perfect  charity  for  all  the  world  and  especial 
good-will  towards  each  other. 

Our  morning  meal  was  soon  prepared.  The  islanders 
are  somewhat  abstemious  at  this  repast,  reserving  the 


202  TYPEE 

more  powerful  efforts  of  their  appetite  to  a  later  period 
of  the  day.  For  my  own  part,  with  the  assistance  of 
my  valet,  who,  as  I  have  before  stated,  always  officiated 
as  spoon  on  these  occasions,  I  ate  sparingly  from  one  of 
Tinor's  trenchers  of  poee-poee  which  was  devoted  ex 
clusively  for  my  own  use,  being  mixed  with  the  milky 
meat  of  ripe  cocoa-nut.  A  section  of  a  roasted  bread 
fruit,  a  small  cake  of  "amar,"  or  a  mess  of  "kokoo," 
two  or  three  bananas,  or  a  mammee-apple,  an  annuee, 
or  some  other  agreeable  and  nutritious  fruit  served 
from  day  to  day  to  diversify  the  meal,  which  was  fin 
ished  by  tossing  off  the  liquid  contents  of  a  young 
cocoa-nut  or  two. 

While  partaking  of  this  simple  repast,  the  inmates  of 
Marheyo's  house,  after  the  style  of  the  indolent  Ro 
mans,  reclined  in  sociable  groups  upon  the  divan  of  mats, 
and  digestion  was  promoted  by  cheerful  conversation. 

After  the  morning  meal  was  concluded,  pipes  were 
lighted,  and  among  them  my  own  especial  pipe,  a  pres 
ent  from  the  noble  Mehevi.  The  islanders,  who  only 
smoke  a  whiff  or  two  at  a  time,  and  at  long  intervals, 
and  who  keep  their  pipes  going  from  hand  to  hand  con 
tinually,  regarded  my  systematic  smoking  of  four  or  five 
pipefuls  of  tobacco  in  succession  as  something  quite  won 
derful.  When  two  or  three  pipes  had  circulated  freely, 
the  company  gradually  broke  up.  Marheyo  went  to 
the  little  hut  he  was  forever  building.  Tinor  began  to 
inspect  her  rolls  of  tappa,  or  employed  her  busy  fingers 
in  plaiting  grass-mats.  The  girls  anointed  themselves 
with  their  fragrant  oils,  dressed  their  hair,  or  looked  over 
their  curious  finery,  and  compared  together  their  ivory 
trinkets,  fashioned  out  of  boar's  tusks  or  whale's  teeth. 
The  young  men  and  warriors  produced  their  spears, 
paddles,  canoe-gear,  battle-clubs,  and  war-conchs,  and 


A    DAY    IN    THE    VALLEY  203 

occupied  themselves  in  carving  all  sorts  of  figures  upon 
them  with  pointed  bits  of  shell  or  flint,  and  adorning 
them,  especially  the  war-conchs,  with  tassels  of  braided 
bark  and  tufts  of  human  hair.  Some,  immediately  after 
eating,  threw  themselves  once  more  upon  the  inviting 
mats,  and  resumed  the  employment  of  the  previous  night, 
sleeping  as  soundly  as  if  they  had  not  closed  their  eyes 
for  a  week.  Others  sallied  out  into  the  groves,  for  the 
purpose  of  gathering  fruit  or  fibres  of  bark  and  leaves, 
the  last  two  being  in  constant  requisition,  and  applied  to 
a  hundred  uses.  A  few,  perhaps,  among  the  girls,  would 
slip  into  the  woods  after  flowers,  or  repair  to  the  stream 
with  small  calabashes  and  cocoa-nut  shells,  in  order  to 
polish  them  by  friction  with  a  smooth  stone  in  the  water. 
In  truth  these  innocent  people  seemed  to  be  at  no  loss  for 
something  to  occupy  their  time;  and  it  would  be  no 
light  task  to  enumerate  all  their  employments,  or  rather 
pleasures. 

My  own  mornings  I  spent  in  a  variety  of  ways.  Some 
times  I  rambled  about  from  house  to  house,  sure  of  re 
ceiving  a  cordial  welcome  wherever  I  went;  or  from 
grove  to  grove,  and  from  one  shady  place  to  another, 
in  company  with  Kory-Kory  and  Fayaway  and  a  rabble 
rout  of  merry  young  idlers.  Sometimes  I  was  too  indo 
lent  for  exercise,  and  accepting  one  of  the  many  invi 
tations  I  was  continually  receiving,  stretched  myself 
out  on  the  mats  of  some  hospitable  dwelling,  and 
occupied  myself  pleasantly  either  in  watching  the  pro 
ceedings  of  those  around  me  or  taking  part  in  them 
myself.  Whenever  I  chose  to  do  the  latter,  the  delight 
of  the  islanders  was  boundless;  and  there  was  always 
a  throng  of  competitors  for  the  honour  of  instructing  me 
in  any  particular  craft.  I  soon  became  quite  an  accom 
plished  hand  at  making  tappa,  could  braid  a  grass  sling 


204  TYPEE 

as  well  as  the  best  of  them,  and  once,  with  my  knife, 
carved  the  handle  of  a  javelin  so  exquisitely  that  I  have 
no  doubt,  to  this  day,  Karnoonoo,  its  owner,  preserves 
it  as  a  surprising  specimen  of  my  skill.  As  noon  ap 
proached,  all  those  who  had  wandered  forth  from  our 
habitation  began  to  return;  and  when  mid-day  was 
fairly  come,  scarcely  a  sound  was  to  be  heard  in  the 
valley:  a  deep  sleep  fell  upon  all.  The  luxurious  siesta 
was  hardly  ever  omitted,  except  by  old  Marheyo,  who 
was  so  eccentric  a  character  that  he  seemed  to  be  gov 
erned  by  no  fixed  principles  whatever;  but  acting  just 
according  to  the  humour  of  the  moment,  slept,  ate,  or 
tinkered  away  at  his  little  hut  without  regard  to  the 
proprieties  of  time  or  place.  Frequently  he  might  have 
been  seen  taking  a  nap  in  the  sun  at  noon-day,  or  a  bath 
in  the  stream  at  midnight.  Once  I  beheld  him  perched 
eighty  feet  from  the  ground,  in  the  tuft  of  a  cocoa-nut 
tree,  smoking;  and  often  I  saw  him  standing  up  to  the 
waist  in  water,  engaged  in  plucking  out  the  stray  hairs 
of  his  beard,  using  a  piece  of  mussel-shell  for  tweezers. 

The  noon-tide  slumber  lasted  generally  an  hour  and 
a  half,  very  often  longer;  and  after  the  cleepers  had 
arisen  from  their  mats  they  again  had  recourse  to  their 
pipes,  and  then  made  preparations  for  the  most  impor 
tant  meal  of  the  day. 

I,  however,  like  those  gentlemen  of  leisure  who 
breakfast  at  home  and  dine  at  their  club,  almost  inva 
riably,  during  my  intervals  of  health,  enjoyed  the  after 
noon  repast  with  the  bachelor  chiefs  of  the  Ti,  who  were 
always  rejoiced  to  see  me,  and  lavishly  spread  before 
me  all  the  good  things  which  their  larders  afforded. 
Mehevi  generally  produced  among  other  dainties  a 
baked  pig,  an  article  which  I  have  every  reason  to  sup 
pose  was  provided  for  my  sole  gratification. 


A    DAY   IN    THE    VALLEY  205 

The  Ti  was  a  right  jovial  place.  It  did  my  heart,  as 
well  as  my  body,  good  to  visit  it.  Secure  from  female 
intrusion,  there  was  no  restraint  upon  the  hilarity  of 
the  warriors,  who,  like  the  gentlemen  of  Europe  after 
the  cloth  is  drawn  and  the  ladies  retire,  freely  indulged 
their  mirth. 

After  spending  a  considerable  portion  of  the  afternoon 
at  the  Ti,  I  usually  found  myself,  as  the  cool  of  the 
evening  came  on,  either  sailing  on  the  little  lake  with 
Fayaway  or  bathing  in  the  waters  of  the  stream  with  a 
number  of  savages  who  at  this  hour  always  repaired 
thither.  As  the  shadows  of  night  approached,  Marheyo's 
household  were  once  more  assembled  under  his  roof; 
tapers  were  lit,  long  and  curious  chants  were  raised, 
interminable  stories  were  told  (for  which  one  present 
was  little  the  wiser),  and  all  sorts  of  social  festivities 
served  to  while  away  the  time. 

The  young  girls  very  often  danced  by  moonlight  in 
front  of  their  dwellings.  There  are  a  great  variety  of 
these  dances,  in  which,  however,  I  never  saw  the  men 
take  part.  They  all  consist  of  active,  romping,  mis 
chievous  evolutions,  in  which  every  limb  is  brought 
into  requisition.  Indeed,  the  Marquesan  girls  dance  all 
over,  as  it  were;  not  only  do  their  feet  dance,  but  their 
arms,  hands,  fingers;  aye,  their  very  eyes  seem  to  dance 
in  their  heads.  In  good  sooth,  they  so  sway  their  float 
ing  forms,  arch  their  necks,  toss  aloft  their  naked  arms, 
and  glide,  and  swim,  and  whirl  that  it  was  almost  too 
much  for  a  quiet,  sober-minded,  modest  young  man  like 
myself. 

The  damsels  wear  nothing  but  flowers  and  their  com 
pendious  gala  tunics,  and  when  they  plume  themselves 
for  the  dance  they  look  like  a  band  of  olive-coloured 
Sylphides  on  the  point  of  taking  wing. 


TYPEE 

Unless  some  particular  festivity  was  going  forward, 
the  inmates  of  Marheyo's  house  retired  to  their  mats 
rather  early  in  the  evening;  but  not  for  the  night,  since, 
after  slumbering  lightly  for  a  while,  they  rose  again, 
relit  their  tapers,  partook  of  the  third  and  last  meal  of 
the  day,  at  which  poee-poee  alone  was  eaten,  and  then 
after  inhaling  a  narcotic  whiff  from  a  pipe  of  tobacco, 
disposed  themselves  for  the  great  business  of  night,  sleep. 
With  the  Marquesans  it  might  almost  be  styled  the  great 
business  of  life,  for  they  pass  a  large  portion  of  their 
time  in  the  arms  of  Somnus.  The  native  strength  of 
their  constitutions  is  no  way  shown  more  emphatically 
than  in  the  quantity  of  sleep  they  can  endure.  To  many 
of  them,  indeed,  life  is  little  else  than  an  often  interrupted 
and  luxurious  nap. 


CHAPTER  XXI 
MONUMENTAL    PI-PIS 

ALMOST  every  country  has  its  medicinal  springs  famed 
for  their  healing  virtues.  The  Cheltenham  of  Typee  is 
embossed  in  the  deepest  solitude,  and  but  seldom  re 
ceives  a  visitor.  It  is  situated  remote  from  any  dwell 
ing,  a  little  way  up  the  mountain,  near  the  head  of  the 
valley;  and  you  approach  it  by  a  pathway  shaded  by 
the  most  beautiful  foliage  and  adorned  with  a  thousand 
fragrant  plants. 

The  mineral  waters  of  Arva  Wai  ooze  forth  from  the 
crevices  of  a  rock,  and  gliding  down  its  mossy  side,  fall 
at  last,  in  many  clustering  drops,  into  a  natural  basin  of 
stone  fringed  round  with  grass  and  dewy-looking  little 
violet-colored  flowers,  as  fresh  and  beautiful  as  the  per 
petual  moisture  they  enjoy  can  make  them. 

The  water  is  held  in  high  estimation  by  the  islanders, 
some  of  whom  consider  it  an  agreeable  as  well  as  a 
medicinal  beverage;  they  bring  it  from  the  mountain 
in  their  calabashes  and  store  it  away  beneath  heaps  of 
leaves  in  some  shady  nook  near  the  house.  Old  Mar- 
heyo  had  a  great  love  for  the  waters  of  the  spring.  Every 
now  and  then  he  lugged  off  to  the  mountain  a  great 
round  demijohn  of  a  calabash,  and  panting  with  his 
exertions,  brought  it  back  filled  with  his  darling  fluid. 

The  water  tasted  like  a  solution  of  a  dozen  disagree 
able  things,  and  was  sufficiently  nauseous  to  have  made 
the  fortune  of  the  proprietor,  had  the  spa  been  situated 
in  the  midst  of  any  civilised  community. 

207 


208  TYPEE 

As  I  am  no  chemist,  I  cannot  give  a  scientific  analy 
sis  of  the  water.  All  I  know  about  the  matter  is  that 
one  day  Marheyo  in  my  presence  poured  out  the  last 
drop  from  his  huge  calabash,  and  I  observed  at  the  bot 
tom  of  the  vessel  a  small  quantity  of  gravelly  sediment 
very  much  resembling  our  common  sand.  Whether  this 
is  always  found  in  the  water,  and  gives  it  its  peculiar 
flavour  and  virtues,  or  whether  its  presence  was  merely 
incidental,  I  was  not  able  to  ascertain. 

One  day  in  returning  from  this  spring  by  a  circuitous 
path  I  came  upon  a  scene  which  reminded  me  of  Stone- 
henge  and  the  architectural  labours  of  the  Druids. 

At  the  base  of  one  of  the  mountains,  and  surrounded 
on  all  sides  by  dense  groves,  a  series  of  vast  terraces  of 
stone  rises,  step  by  step,  for  a  considerable  distance  up 
the  hill  side.  These  terraces  cannot  be  less  than  one 
hundred  yards  in  length  and  twenty  in  width.  Their 
magnitude,  however,  is  less  striking  than  the  immense 
size  of  the  blocks  composing  them.  Some  of  the  stones, 
of  an  oblong  shape,  are  from  ten  to  fifteen  feet  in  length, 
and  five  or  six  feet  thick.  Their  sides  are  quite  smooth, 
but  though  square,  and  of  pretty  regular  formation,  they 
bear  no  mark  of  the  chisel.  They  are  laid  together 
without  cement,  and  here  and  there  show  gaps  between. 
The  topmost  terrace  and  the  lower  one  are  somewhat 
peculiar  in  their  construction.  They  have  both  a  quad 
rangular  depression  in  the  centre,  leaving  the  rest  of 
the  terrace  elevated  several  feet  above  it.  In  the  inter 
vals  of  the  stones  immense  trees  have  taken  root,  and 
their  broad  boughs  stretching  far  over  and  interlacing 
together  support  a  canopy  almost  impenetrable  to  the 
sun.  Overgrowing  the  greater  part  of  them,  and  climb 
ing  from  one  to  another,  is  a  wilderness  of  vines,  in 
whose  sinewy  embrace  many  of  the  stones  lie  half  hid- 


MONUMENTAL    PI-PIS  209 

den,  while  in  some  places  a  thick  growth  of  bushes  en 
tirely  covers  them.  There  is  a  wild  pathway  which 
obliquely  crosses  two  of  these  terraces;  and  so  profound 
is  the  shade,  so  dense  the  vegetation,  that  a  stranger  to 
the  place  might  pass  along  it  without  being  aware  of  their 
existence. 

These  structures  bear  every  indication  of  a  very  high 
antiquity,  and  Kory-Kory,  who  was  my  authority  in  all 
matters  of  scientific  research,  gave  me  to  understand 
that  they  were  coeval  with  the  creation  of  the  world, 
that  the  great  gods  themselves  were  the  builders,  and 
that  they  would  endure  until  time  shall  be  no  more. 
Kory-Kory's  prompt  explanation,  and  his  attributing 
the  work  to  a  divine  origin,  at  once  convinced  me  that 
neither  he  nor  the  rest  of  his  countrymen  knew  anything 
about  them. 

As  I  gazed  upon  this  monument,  doubtless  the  work 
of  an  extinct  and  forgotten  race,  thus  buried  in  the 
green  nook  of  an  island  at  the  ends  of  the  earth,  the  ex 
istence  of  which  was  yesterday  unknown,  a  stronger 
feeling  of  awe  came  over  me  than  if  I  had  stood  musing 
at  the  mighty  base  of  the  Pyramid  of  Cheops.  There  are 
no  inscriptions,  no  sculpture,  no  clew  by  which  to  con 
jecture  its  history  —  nothing  but  the  dumb  stones.  How 
many  generations  of  those  majestic  trees  which  over 
shadow  them  have  grown  and  flourished  and  decayed 
since  first  they  were  erected ! 

I  have  already  mentioned  that  the  dwellings  of  the 
islanders  were  almost  invariably  built  upon  massive  stone 
foundations,  which  they  call  pi-pis.  The  dimensions  of 
these,  however,  as  well  as  of  the  stones  composing  them, 
are  comparatively  small:  but  there  are  other  and  larger 
erections  of  a  similar  description  comprising  the  "mo- 
rais,"  or  burying-grounds,  and  festival-places,  in  nearly 


210  TYPEE 

all  the  valleys  of  the  island.  Some  of  these  piles  are  so 
extensive,  and  so  great  a  degree  of  labour  and  skill 
must  have  been  requisite  in  constructing  them,  that  I 
can  scarcely  believe  they  were  built  by  the  ancestors  of 
the  present  inhabitants.  If  indeed  they  were,  the  race 
have  sadly  deteriorated  in  their  knowledge  of  the  me 
chanic  arts.  To  say  nothing  of  their  habitual  indo 
lence,  by  what  contrivance  within  the  reach  of  so  simple 
a  people  could  such  enormous  masses  have  been  moved 
or  fixed  in  their  places?  and  how  could  they  with  their 
rude  implements  have  chiselled  and  hammered  them  into 
shape. 

All  of  these  larger  pi-pis  —  like  that  of  the  Hoolah 
Hoolah  ground  in  the  Typee  valley  —  bore  incontestable 
marks  of  great  age,  and  I  am  disposed  to  believe  that 
their  erection  may  be  ascribed  to  the  same  race  of  men 
who  were  the  builders  of  the  still  more  ancient  remains 
I  have  just  described. 

According  to  Kory-Kory's  account,  the  pi-pis  upon 
which  stands  the  Hoolah  Hoolah  ground  was  built  a  great 
many  moons  ago,  under  the  direction  of  Monoo,  a  great 
chief  and  warrior,  and,  as  it  would  appear,  master-mason 
among  the  Typees.  It  was  erected  for  the  express  pur 
pose  to  which  it  is  at  present  devoted,  in  the  incredibly 
short  period  of  one  sun,  and  was  dedicated  to  the  im 
mortal  wooden  idols  by  a  grand  festival,  which  lasted 
ten  days  and  nights. 

Among  the  smaller  pi-pis,  upon  which  stand  the  dwell 
ing-houses  of  the  natives,  I  never  observed  any  which 
intimated  a  recent  erection.  There  are  in  every  part 
of  the  valley  a  great  many  of  these  massive  stone  founda 
tions  which  have  no  houses  upon  them.  This  is  vastly 
convenient,  for  whenever  an  enterprising  islander  chooses 
to  emigrate  a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  place  where 


MONUMENTAL    PI-PIS  211 

he  was  born,  all  he  has  to  do  in  order  to  establish  him 
self  in  some  new  locality  is  to  select  one  of  the  many 
unappropriated  pi-pis,  and  without  further  ceremony 
pitch  his  bamboo  tent  upon  it. 


CHAPTER   XXII 
PREPARATIONS    FOR    A    FEAST 

FROM  the  time  that  my  lameness  had  decreased,  I 
had  made  a  daily  practice  of  visiting  Mehevi  at  the  Ti, 
who  invariably  gave  me  a  most  cordial  reception.  I 
was  always  accompanied  in  these  excursions  by  Fayaway 
and  the  ever-present  Kory-Kory.  The  former,  as  soon 
as  we  reached  the  vicinity  of  the  Ti  —  which  was  rigor 
ously  tabooed  to  the  whole  female  sex  —  withdrew  to  a 
neighbouring  hut,  as  if  her  feminine  delicacy  restrained 
her  from  approaching  a  habitation  which  might  be  re 
garded  as  a  sort  of  Bachelor's  Hall. 

And  in  good  truth  it  might  well  have  been  so  con 
sidered.  Although  it  was  the  permanent  residence  of 
several  distinguished  chiefs,  and  of  the  noble  Mehevi 
in  particular,  it  was  still  at  certain  seasons  the  favourite 
haunt  of  all  the  jolly,  talkative,  and  elderly  savages  of 
the  vale,  who  resorted  thither  in  the  same  way  that 
similar  characters  frequent  a  tavern  in  civilized  coun 
tries.  There  they  would  remain  hour  after  hour,  chat 
ting,  smoking,  eating  poee-poee,  or  busily  engaged  in 
sleeping  for  the  good  of  their  constitutions. 

This  building  appeared  to  be  the  headquarters  of 
the  valley,  where  all  flying  rumours  concentrated;  and 
to  have  seen  it  filled  with  a  crowd  of  the  natives,  all 
males,  conversing  in  animated  clusters,  while  multitudes 
were  continually  coming  and  going,  one  would  have 
thought  it  a  kind  of  savage  Exchange,  where  the  rise 
and  fall  of  Polynesian  Stock  was  discussed. 

212 


PREPARATIONS    FOR   A    FEAST          213 

Mehevi  acted  as  supreme  lord  over  the  place,  spend 
ing  the  greater  portion  of  his  time  there:  and  often 
when,  at  particular  hours  of  the  day,  it  was  deserted  by 
nearly  every  one  else  except  the  verd-antique  looking 
centenarians,  who  were  fixtures  in  the  building,  the 
chief  himself  was  sure  to  be  found  enjoying  his  otium 
cum  dignitate  upon  the  luxurious  mats  which  covered 
the  floor.  Whenever  I  made  my  appearance  he  inva 
riably  rose,  and,  like  a  gentleman  doing  the  honours  of 
his  mansion,  invited  me  to  repose  myself  wherever  I 
pleased,  and  calling  out  "tamaree!"  (boy),  a  little  fellow 
would  appear,  and  then  retiring  for  an  instant,  return 
with  some  savoury  mess,  from  which  the  chief  would 
press  me  to  regale  myself.  To  tell  the  truth,  Mehevi 
was  indebted  to  the  excellence  of  his  viands  for  the 
honour  of  my  repeated  visits  —  a  matter  which  cannot 
appear  singular  when  it  is  borne  in  mind  that  bachelors, 
all  the  world  over,  are  famous  for  serving  up  unexception 
able  repasts. 

One  day,  on  drawing  near  to  the  Ti,  I  observed  that 
extensive  preparations  were  going  forward,  plainly  be 
tokening  some  approaching  festival.  Some  of  the  symp 
toms  reminded  me  of  the  stir  produced  among  the  scul 
lions  of  a  large  hotel  where  a  grand  jubilee  dinner  is 
about  to  be  given.  The  natives  were  hurrying  about 
hither  and  thither,  engaged  in  various  duties;  some 
lugging  off  to  the  stream  enormous  hollow  bamboos, 
for  the  purpose  of  filling  them  with  water;  others 
chasing  furious-looking  hogs  through  the  bushes,  in 
their  endeavours  to  capture  them;  and  numbers  em 
ployed  in  kneading  great  mountains  of  poee-poee  heaped 
up  in  huge  wooden  vessels. 

After  observing  these  lively  indications  for  a  while,  I 
was  attracted  to  a  neighbouring  grove  by  a  prodigious 


214  TYPEE 

squeaking  which  I  heard  there.  On  reaching  the  spot 
I  found  it  proceeded  from  a  large  hog  which  a  number 
of  natives  were  forcibly  holding  to  the  earth,  while  a 
muscular  fellow,  armed  with  a  bludgeon,  was  ineffectu 
ally  aiming  murderous  blows  at  the  skull  of  the  unfor 
tunate  porker.  Again  and  again  he  missed  his  writhing 
and  struggling  victim,  but  though  puffing  and  panting 
with  his  exertions,  he  still  continued  them;  and  after 
striking  a  sufficient  number  of  blows  to  have  demolished 
an  entire  drove  of  oxen,  with  one  crashing  stroke  he 
laid  him  dead  at  his  feet. 

Without  letting  any  blood  from  the  body,  it  was 
immediately  carried  to  a  fire  which  had  been  kindled 
near  at  hand,  and  four  savages,  taking  hold  of  the  car 
cass  by  its  legs,  passed  it  rapidly  to  and  fro  in  the 
flames.  In  a  moment  the  smell  of  burning  bristles 
betrayed  the  object  of  this  procedure.  Having  got  thus 
far  in  the  matter,  the  body  was  removed  to  a  little  dis 
tance;  and,  being  disembowelled,  the  entrails  were  laid 
aside  as  choice  parts,  and  the  whole  carcass  thoroughly 
washed  with  water.  An  ample  thick  green  cloth,  com 
posed  of  the  long  thick  leaves  of  a  species  of  palm- 
tree  ingeniously  tacked  together  with  little  pins  of  bam 
boo,  was  now  spread  upon  the  ground,  in  which  the 
body  being  carefully  rolled,  it  was  borne  to  an  oven 
previously  prepared  to  receive  it.  Here  it  was  at  once 
laid  upon  the  heated  stones  at  the  bottom,  and  covered 
with  thick  layers  of  leaves,  the  whole  being  quickly 
hidden  from  sight  by  a  mound  of  earth  raised  over  it. 

Such  is  the  summary  style  in  which  the  Typees  con 
vert  perverse-minded  and  rebellious  hogs  into  the  most 
docile  and  amiable  pork,  a  morsel  of  which  placed  on 
the  tongue  melts  like  a  soft  smile  from  the  lips  of  Beauty. 

I  commend  their  peculiar  mode  of  proceeding  to  the 


PREPARATIONS    FOR   A    FEAST  215 

consideration  of  all  butchers,  cooks,  and  housewives. 
The  hapless  porker  whose  fate  I  have  just  rehearsed 
was  not  the  only  one  who  suffered  on  that  memorable 
day.  Many  a  dismal  grunt,  many  an  imploring  squeak, 
proclaimed  what  was  going  on  throughout  the  whole 
extent  of  the  valley;  and  I  verily  believe  the  first-born 
of  every  litter  perished  before  the  setting  of  that  fatal 
sun. 

The  scene  around  the  Ti  was  now  most  animated. 
Hogs  and  poee-poee  were  baking  in  numerous  ovens, 
which,  heaped  up  with  fresh  earth  into  slight  eleva 
tions,  looked  like  so  many  ant-hills.  Scores  of  the 
savages  were  vigorously  plying  their  stone  pestles  in 
preparing  masses  of  poee-poee,  and  numbers  were 
gathering  green  bread-fruit  and  young  cocoa-nuts  in 
the  surrounding  groves,  while  an  exceeding  great  multi 
tude,  with  a  view  of  encouraging  the  rest  in  their 
labours,  stood  still,  and  kept  shouting  most  lustily 
without  intermission. 

It  is  a  peculiarity  among  these  people  that  when 
engaged  in  any  employment  they  always  make  a  pro 
digious  fuss  about  it.  So  seldom  do  they  exert  them 
selves  that  when  they  do  work  they  seem  determined 
that  so  meritorious  an  action  shall  not  escape  the  ob 
servation  of  those  around.  If,  for  example,  they  have 
occasion  to  remove  a  stone  by  a  little  distance,  which 
perhaps  might  be  carried  by  two  able-bodied  men,  a 
whole  swarm  gather  about  it,  and,  after  a  vast  deal  of 
palavering,  lift  it  up  among  them,  every  one  struggling 
to  get  hold  of  it,  and  bear  it  off  yelling  and  panting  as 
if  accomplishing  some  mighty  achievement.  Seeing  them 
on  these  occasions,  one  is  reminded  of  an  infinity  of  black 
ants  clustering  about  and  dragging  away  to  some  hole 
the  leg  of  a  deceased  fly. 


216  TYPEE 

Having  for  some  time  attentively  observed  these 
demonstrations  of  good  cheer,  I  entered  the  Ti,  where 
Mehevi  sat  complacently  looking  out  upon  the  busy 
scene,  and  occasionally  issuing  his  orders.  The  chief 
appeared  to  be  in  an  extraordinary  flow  of  spirits,  and 
gave  me  to  understand  that  on  the  morrow  there  would 
by  grand  doings  in  the  Groves  generally  and  at  the  Ti 
in  particular,  and  urged  me  by  no  means  to  absent 
myself.  In  commemoration  of  what  event,  however, 
or  in  honour  of  what  distinguished  personage  the  feast 
was  to  be  given  altogether  passed  my  comprehension. 
Mehevi  sought  to  enlighten  my  ignorance,  but  he  failed 
as  signally  as  when  he  had  endeavoured  to  initiate  me 
into  the  perplexing  arcana  of  the  taboo. 

On  leaving  the  Ti,  Kory-Kory,  who  had  as  a  matter 
of  course  accompanied  me,  observing  that  my  curiosity 
remained  unabated,  resolved  to  make  everything  plain 
and  satisfactory.  With  this  intent,  he  escorted  me 
through  the  Taboo  Groves,  pointing  out  to  my  notice  a 
variety  of  objects,  and  endeavoured  to  explain  them  in 
such  an  indescribable  jargon  of  words  that  it  almost 
put  me  in  bodily  pain  to  listen  to  him.  In  particular, 
he  led  me  to  a  remarkable  pyramidical  structure  some 
three  yards  square  at  the  base,  and  perhaps  ten  feet  in 
height,  which  had  lately  been  thrown  up,  and  occupied 
a  very  conspicuous  position.  It  was  composed  princi 
pally  of  large  empty  calabashes,  with  a  few  polished 
cocoa-nut  shells,  and  looked  not  unlike  a  cenotaph  of 
skulls.  My  cicerone  perceived  the  astonishment  with 
which  I  gazed  at  this  monument  of  savage  crockery, 
and  immediately  addressed  himself  to  the  task  of 
enlightening  me:  but  all  in  vain;  and  to  this  hour  the 
nature  of  the  monument  remains  a  complete  mystery 
to  me.  As,  however,  it  formed  so  prominent  a  feature 


PREPARATIONS    FOR   A    FEAST          217 

in  the  approaching  revels,  I  bestowed  upon  the  latter, 
in  my  own  mind,  the  title  of  the  "Feast  of  Calabashes." 

The  following  morning,  awaking  rather  late,  I  per 
ceived  the  whole  of  Marheyo's  family  busily  engaged 
in  preparing  for  the  festival.  The  old  warrior  himself 
was  arranging  in  round  balls  the  two  grey  locks  of  hair 
that  were  suffered  to  grow  from  the  crown  of  his  head; 
his  earrings  and  spear,  both  well  polished,  lay  beside 
him,  while  the  highly  decorative  pair  of  shoes  hung 
suspended  from  a  projecting  cane  against  the  side  of 
the  house.  The  young  men  were  similarly  employed; 
and  the  fair  damsels,  including  Fayaway,  were  anoint 
ing  themselves  with  "aka,"  arranging  their  long  tresses, 
and  performing  other  matters  connected  with  the  duties 
of  the  toilet. 

Having  completed  their  preparations,  the  girls  now 
exhibited  themselves  in  gala  costume,  the  most  con 
spicuous  feature  of  which  was  a  necklace  of  beautiful 
white  flowers,  with  the  stems  removed,  and  strung  closely 
together  upon  a  single  fibre  of  tappa.  Corresponding 
ornaments  were  inserted  in  their  ears,  and  woven  gar 
lands  upon  their  heads.  About  their  waist  they  wore 
a  short  tunic  of  spotless  white  tappa,  and  some  of 
them  superadded  to  this  a  mantle  of  the  same  material, 
tied  in  an  elaborate  bow  upon  the  left  shoulder  and 
falling  about  the  figure  in  picturesque  folds. 

Thus  arrayed,  I  would  have  matched  the  charming 
Fayaway  against  any  beauty  in  the  world. 

People  may  say  what  they  will  about  the  taste  evinced 
by  our  fashionable  ladies  in  dress.  Their  jewels,  their 
feathers,  their  silks,  and  their  furbelows  would  have 
sunk  into  utter  insignificance  beside  the  exquisite  sim 
plicity  of  attire  adopted  by  the  nymphs  of  the  vale  on 
this  festive  occasion.  I  should  like  to  have  seen  a  gal- 


2i8  TYPEE 

Icry  of  coronation  beauties,  at  Westminster  Abbey,  con 
fronted  for  a  moment  by  this  band  of  Island  girls,  their 
stiffness,  formality,  and  affectation  contrasted  with  the 
artless  vivacity  and  unconcealed  natural  graces  of  these 
savage  maidens.  It  would  be  the  Venus  de  Medici 
placed  beside  a  milliner's  doll. 

It  was  not  long  before  Kory-Kory  and  myself  were 
left  alone  in  the  house,  the  rest  of  its  inmates  having 
departed  for  the  Taboo  Groves.  My  valet  was  all  im 
patience  to  follow  them,  and  was  as  fidgety  about  rny 
dilatory  movements  as  a  diner-out  waiting  hat  in  hand 
at  the  bottom  of  the  stairs  for  some  lagging  companion. 
At  last,  yielding  to  his  importunities,  I  set  out  for  the 
Ti.  As  we  passed  the  houses  peeping  out  from  the 
groves  through  which  our  route  lay,  I  noticed  that  they 
were  entirely  deserted  by  their  inhabitants. 

When  we  reached  the  rock  that  abruptly  terminated 
the  path  and  concealed  from  us  the  festive  scene,  wild 
shouts  and  a  confused  blending  of  voices  assured  me 
that  the  occasion,  whatever  it  might  be,  had  drawn 
together  a  great  multitude.  Kory-Kory,  previous  to 
mounting  the  elevation,  paused  for  a  moment,  like  a 
dandy  at  a  ballroom  door,  to  put  a  hasty  finish  to  his 
toilet.  During  this  short  interval,  the  thought  struck 
me  that  I  ought  myself  perhaps  to  be  taking  some  little 
pains  with  my  appearance.  But  as  I  had  no  holiday 
raiment,  I  was  not  a  little  puzzled  to  devise  some  means 
of  decorating  myself.  However,  as  I  felt  desirous  to 
create  a  sensation,  I  determined  to  do  all  that  lay  in  my 
power;  and  knowing  that  I  could  not  delight  the  sav 
ages  more  than  by  conforming  to  their  style  of  dress,  I 
removed  from  my  person  the  large  robe  of  tappa  which 
I  was  accustomed  to  wear  over  my  shoulders  whenever 
I  sallied  into  the  open  air,  and  remained  merely  girt 


PREPARATIONS    FOR    A    FEAST          219 

about  with  a  short  tunic  descending  from  my  waist  to 
my  knees. 

My  quick-witted  attendant  fully  appreciated  the  com 
pliment  I  was  paying  to  the  costume  of  his  race,  and 
began  more  sedulously  to  arrange  the  folds  of  the  one 
only  garment  which  remained  to  me.  Whilst  he  was 
doing  this,  I  caught  sight  of  a  knot  of  young  lasses, 
who  were  sitting  near  us  on  the  grass  surrounded  by 
heaps  of  flowers  which  they  were  forming  into  garlands. 
I  motioned  to  them  to  bring  some  of  their  handiwork 
to  me,  and  in  an  instant  a  dozen  wreaths  were  at  my 
disposal.  One  of  them  I  put  round  the  apology  for  a 
hat  which  I  had  been  forced  to  construct  for  myself  out 
of  palmetto-leaves,  and  some  of  the  others  I  converte/i 
into  a  splendid  girdle.  These  operations  finished,  with 
the  slow  and  dignified  step  of  a  full-dressed  beau  I 
ascended  the  rock. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
THE    FEAST    OF    CALABASHES 

THE  whole  population  of  the  valley  seemed  to  be 
gathered  within  the  precincts  of  the  grove.  In  the  dis 
tance  could  be  seen  the  long  front  of  the  Ti,  its  im 
mense  piazza  swarming  with  men,  arrayed  in  every 
variety  of  fantastic  costume,  and  all  vociferating  with 
animated  gestures,  while  the  whole  interval  between  it 
and  the  place  where  I  stood  was  enlivened  by  groups  of 
females  fancifully  decorated,  dancing,  capering,  and 
uttering  *wild  exclamations.  As  soon  as  they  descried 
me  they  set  up  a  shout  of  welcome,  and  a  band  of 
them  came  dancing  towards  me  chanting  as  they  ap 
proached  some  wild  recitative.  The  change  in  my  garb 
seemed  to  transport  them  with  delight,  and  clustering 
about  me  on  all  sides,  they  accompanied  me  towards  the 
Ti.  When,  however,  we  drew  near  it  these  joyous 
nymphs  paused  in  their  career,  and  parting  on  either 
side,  permitted  me  to  pass  on  to  the  now  densely  thronged 
building. 

So  soon  as  I  mounted  to  the  pi-pi  I  saw  at  a  glance 
that  the  revels  were  fairly  under  way. 

What  lavish  plenty  reigned  around!  Warwick  feast 
ing  his  retainers  with  beef  and  ale  was  a  niggard  to  the 
noble  Mehevi!  All  along  the  piazza  of  the  Ti  were 
arranged  elaborately  carved  canoe-shaped  vessels,  some 
twenty  feet  in  length,  filled  with  newly  made  poee-poee, 
and  sheltered  from  the  sun  by  the  broad  leaves  of  the 

220 


THE    FEAST    OF    CALABASHES  221 

banana.  At  intervals  were  heaps  of  green  bread-fruit, 
raised  in  pyramidical  stacks,  resembling  the  regular 
piles  of  heavy  shot  to  be  seen  in  the  yard  of  an  arsenal. 
Inserted  into  the  interstices  of  the  huge  stones  which 
formed  the  pi-pi  were  large  boughs  of  trees,  hanging 
from  the  branches  of  which,  and  screened  from  the  sun 
by  their  foliage,  were  innumerable  little  packages  with 
leafy  coverings,  containing  the  meat  of  the  numerous 
hogs  which  had  been  slain,  done  up  in  this  manner  to 
make  it  more  accessible  to  the  crowd.  Leaning  against 
the  railing  of  the  piazza  were  an  immense  number  of 
long,  heavy  bamboos,  plugged  at  the  lower  end,  and 
with  their  projecting  muzzles  stuffed  with  a  wad  of 
leaves.  These  were  filled  with  water  from  the  stream, 
and  each  of  them  might  hold  from  four  to  five  gallons. 

The  banquet  being  thus  spread,  nought  remained  but 
for  every  one  to  help  himself  at  his  pleasure.  Accord 
ingly  not  a  moment  passed  but  the  transplanted  boughs 
I  have  mentioned  were  rifled  by  the  throng  of  the  fruit 
they  certainly  had  never  borne  before.  Calabashes  of 
poee-poee  were  continually  being  replenished  from  the 
extensive  receptacle  in  which  that  article  was  stored, 
and  multitudes  of  little  fires  were  kindled  about  the  Ti 
for  the  purpose  of  roasting  the  bread-fruit. 

Within  the  building  itself  was  presented  a  most  ex 
traordinary  scene.  The  immense  lounge  of  mats  lying 
between  the  parallel  rows  of  the  trunks  of  cocoa-nut 
trees,  and  extending  the  entire  length  of  the  house,  at 
least  two  hundred  feet,  was  covered  by  the  reclining 
forms  of  a  host  of  chiefs  and  warriors,  who  were  eating 
at  a  great  rate,  or  soothing  the  cares  of  Polynesian  life 
in  the  sedative  fumes  of  tobacco.  The  smoke  was  in 
haled  from  large  pipes,  the  bowls  of  which,  made  out  of 
small  cocoa-nut  shells,  were  curiously  carved  in  strange 


222  TYPEE 

heathenish  devices.  These  were  passed  from  mouth  to 
mouth  by  the  recumbent  smokers,  who,  taking  two  or 
three  prodigious  whiffs,  handed  the  pipe  to  his  neigh 
bour,  sometimes  for  that  purpose  stretching  indolently 
across  the  body  of  some  dozing  individual  whose  exer 
tions  at  the  dinner- table  had  already  induced  sleep. 

The  tobacco  used  among  the  Typees  was  of  a  very 
mild  and  pleasing  flavour,  and  as  I  always  saw  it  in 
leaves,  and  the  natives  appeared  pretty  well  supplied 
with  it,  I  was  led  to  believe  that  it  must  have  been  the 
growth  of  the  valley.  Indeed  Kory-Kory  gave  me  to 
understand  that  this  was  the  case;  but  I  never  saw  a 
single  plant  growing  on  the  island.  At  Nukuheva,  and, 
I  believe,  in  all  the  other  valleys,  the  weed  is  very 
scarce,  being  only  obtained  in  small  quantities  from 
foreigners,  and  smoking  is  consequently  with  the  inhabi 
tants  of  these  places  a  very  great  luxury.  How  it  was 
that  the  Typees  were  so  well  furnished  with  it  I  cannot 
divine.  I  should  think  them  too  indolent  to  devote  any 
attention  to  its  culture;  and,  indeed,  as  far  as  my  obser 
vation  extended,  not  a  single  atom  of  the  soil  was  under 
any  other  cultivation  than  that  of  shower  and  sunshine. 
The  tobacco  plant,  however,  like  the  sugar-cane,  may 
grow  wild  in  some  remote  part  of  the  vale. 

There  were  many  in  the  Ti  for  whom  the  tobacco 
did  not  furnish  a  sufficient  stimulus,  and  who  accord 
ingly  had  recourse  to  "arva,"  as  a  more  powerful  agent 
in  producing  the  desired  effect.  "Arva"  is  a  root  very 
generally  dispersed  over  the  South  Seas,  and  from  it 
is  extracted  a  juice,  the  effects  of  which  upon  the  system 
are  at  first  stimulating  in  a  moderate  degree;  but  it  soon 
relaxes  the  muscles,  and  exerting  a  narcotic  influence  pro 
duces  a  luxurious  sleep.  In  the  valley  this  beverage 
was  universally  prepared  in  the  following  way: 


THE    FEAST    OF    CALABASHES  223 

half-dozen  young  boys  seated  themselves  in  a  circle 
around  an  empty  wooden  vessel,  each  of  them  being 
supplied  with  a  certain  quantity  of  the  roots  of  the 
"arva,"  broken  into  small  bits  and  laid  by  his  side. 
A  cocoa-nut  goblet  of  water  was  passed  around  the  juve 
nile  company,  who,  rinsing  their  mouths  with  its  con 
tents,  proceeded  to  the  business  before  them.  This 
merely  consisted  in  thoroughly  masticating  the  "arva," 
and  throwing  it  mouthful  after  mouthful  into  the  re 
ceptacle  provided.  When  a  sufficient  quantity  had  been 
thus  obtained  water  was  poured  upon  the  mass,  and  being 
stirred  about  with  the  forefinger  of  the  right  hand,  the 
preparation  was  soon  in  readiness  for  use. 

Mehevi,  who  was  greatly  delighted  with  the  change 
in  my  costume,  gave  me  a  cordial  welcome.  He  had 
reserved  for  me  a  most  delectable  mess  of  "kokoo,"  well 
knowing  my  partiality  for  that  dish,  and  had  likewise 
selected  three  or  four  young  cocoa-nuts,  several  roasted 
bread-fruit,  and  a  magnificent  bunch  of  bananas  for  my 
especial  comfort  and  gratification.  These  various  mat 
ters  were  at  once  placed  before  me;  but  Kory-Kory 
deemed  the  banquet  entirely  insufficient  for  my  wants 
until  he  had  supplied  me  with  one  of  the  leafy  packages 
of  pork,  which,  notwithstanding  the  somewhat  hasty 
manner  in  which  it  had  been  prepared,  possessed  a 
most  excellent  flavour,  and  was  surprisingly  sweet  and 
tender.  Pork  is  not  a  staple  article  of  food  among  the 
people  of  the  Marquesas;  consequently  they  pay  little 
attention  to  the  breeding  of  the  swine.  The  hogs  are 
permitted  to  roam  at  large  in  the  groves,  where  they 
obtain  no  small  part  of  their  nourishment  from  the 
cocoa-nuts  which  continually  fall  from  the  trees.  But 
it  is  only  after  infinite  labour  and  difficulty  that  the 
hungry  animal  can  pierce  the  husk  and  shell  so  as  to 


224  TYPEE 

get  at  the  meat.  I  have  frequently  been  amused  at 
seeing  one  of  them,  after  crunching  the  obstinate  nut 
with  his  teeth  for  a  long  time  unsuccessfully,  get  into 
a  violent  passion  with  it.  He  would  then  root  furi 
ously  under  the  cocoa-nut,  and,  with  a  fling  of  his 
snout,  toss  it  before  him  on  the  ground.  Following  it 
up,  he  would  crunch  at  it  again  savagely  for  a  moment, 
and  the  next  knock  it  on  one  side,  pausing  immediately 
after,  as  if  wondering  how  it  could  so  suddenly  have 
disappeared.  In  this  way  the  persecuted  cocoa-nuts 
were  often  chased  half  across  the  valley. 

The  second  day  of  the  Feast  of  Calabashes  was 
ushered  in  by  still  more  uproarious  noises  than  the 
first.  The  skins  of  innumerable  sheep  seemed  to  be 
resounding  to  the  blows  of  an  army  of  drummers. 
Startled  from  my  slumbers  by  the  din,  I  leaped  up,  and 
found  the  whole  household  engaged  in  making  prepara 
tions  for  immediate  departure.  Curious  to  discover  of 
what  strange  events  these  novel  sounds  might  be  the 
precursors,  and  not  a  little  desirous  to  catch  a  sight  of 
the  instruments  which  produced  the  terrific  noise,  I  ac 
companied  the  natives  as  soon  as  they  were  in  readi 
ness  to  depart  for  the  Taboo  Groves. 

The  comparatively  open  space  that  extended  from 
the  Ti  toward  the  rock,  to  which  I  have  before  alluded 
as  forming  the  ascent  to  the  place,  was,  with  the  build 
ing  itself,  now  altogether  deserted  by  the  men,  the 
whole  distance  being  filled  by  bands  of  females,  shout 
ing  and  dancing  under  the  influence  of  some  strange 
excitement. 

I  was  amused  at  the  appearnce  of  four  or  five  old 
women  who,  in  a  state  of  utter  nudity,  with  their  arms 
extended  flatly  down  their  sides,  and  holding  them 
selves  perfectly  erect,  were  leaping  stiffly  into  the  air, 


THE    FEAST    OF    CALABASHES  225 

like  so  many  sticks  bobbing  to  the  surface  after  being 
pressed  perpendicularly  into  the  water.  They  pre 
served  the  utmost  gravity  of  countenance,  and  con 
tinued  their  extraordinary  movements  without  a  single 
moment's  cessation.  They  did  not  appear  to  attract 
the  observation  of  the  crowd  around  them,  but  I  must 
candidly  confess  that,  for  my  own  part,  I  stared  at  them 
most  pertinaciously. 

Desirous  of  being  enlightened  with  regard  to  the 
meaning  of  this  peculiar  diversion,  I  turned  enquiringly 
to  Kory-Kory;  that  learned  Typee  immediately  pro 
ceeded  to  explain  the  whole  matter  thoroughly.  But 
all  that  I  could  comprehend  from  what  he  said  was 
that  the  leaping  figures  before  me  were  bereaved  wid 
ows,  whose  partners  had  been  slain  in  battle  many 
moons  previously,  and  who,  at  every  festival,  gave 
public  evidence  in  this  manner  of  their  calamities.  It 
was  evident  that  Kory-Kory  considered  this  an  all- 
sufficient  reason  for  so  undecorous  a  custom;  but  I  must 
say  that  it  did  not  satisfy  me  as  to  its  propriety. 

Leaving  these  afflicted  females,  we  passed  on  to  the 
Hoolah-Hoolah  ground.  Within  the  spacious  quad 
rangle,  the  whole  population  of  the  valley  seemed  to  be 
assembled,  and  the  sight  presented  was  truly  remarkable. 
Beneath  the  sheds  of  bamboo  which  opened  towards  the 
interior  of  the  square  reclined  the  principal  chiefs  and 
warriors,  while  a  miscellaneous  throng  lay  at  their  ease 
under  the  enormous  trees  which  spread  a  majestic  canopy 
overhead.  Upon  the  terraces  of  the  gigantic  altars,  at 
either  end,  were  deposited  green  bread-fruit  in  baskets 
of  cocoa-nut  leaves,  large  rolls  of  tappa,  bunches  of 
ripe  bananas,  clusters  of  mammee-apples,  the  golden- 
hued  fruit  of  the  artu-tree,  and  baked  hogs,  laid  out 
in  large  wooden  trenchers,  fancifully  decorated  with 


226  TYPEE 

freshly  plucked  leaves,  whilst  a  variety  of  rude  imple 
ments  of  war  were  piled  in  confused  heaps  before  the 
ranks  of  hideous  idols.  Fruits  of  various  kinds  were 
likewise  suspended  in  leafen  baskets  from  the  tops  of 
poles  planted  upright,  and  at  regular  intervals  along 
the  lower  terraces  of  both  altars.  At  their  base  were 
arranged  two  parallel  rows  of  cumbersome  drums,  stand 
ing  at  least  fifteen  feet  in  height,  and  formed  from  the 
hollow  trunks  of  large  trees.  Their  heads  were  covered 
with  shark-skins,  and  their  barrels  were  elaborately 
carved  with  various  quaint  figures  and  devices.  At 
regular  intervals  they  were  bound  round  by  a  species  of 
sinnate  of  various  colours,  and  strips  of  native  cloth 
flattened  upon  them  here  and  there.  Behind  these  in 
struments  were  built  slight  platforms,  upon  which  stood 
a  number  of  young  men  who,  beating  violently  with 
the  palms  of  their  hands  upon  the  drum-heads,  pro 
duced  those  outrageous  sounds  which  had  awakened  me 
in  the  morning.  Every  few  minutes  these  musical 
performers  hopped  down  from  their  elevation  into  the 
crowd  below,  and  their  places  were  immediately  sup 
plied  by  fresh  recruits.  Thus  an  incessant  din  was  kept 
up  that  might  have  startled  Pandemonium. 

Precisely  in  the  middle  of  the  quadrangle  were  placed 
perpendicularly  in  the  ground  a  hundred  or  more  slender, 
fresh-cut  poles,  stripped  of  their  bark  and  decorated  at 
the  end  with  a  floating  pennon  of  white  tappa,  the  whole 
being  fenced  about  with  a  little  picket  of  canes.  For 
what  purpose  these  singular  ornaments  were  intended  I 
in  vain  endeavoured  to  discover. 

Another  most  striking  features  of  the  performance 
was  exhibited  by  a  score  of  old  men,  who  sat  cross- 
legged  in  the  little  pulpits  which  encircled  the  trunks 
of  the  immense  trees  growing  in  the  middle  of  the  en- 


THE    FEAST    OF    CALABASHES  227 

closure.  These  venerable  gentlemen,  who  I  presume 
were  the  priests,  kept  up  an  uninterrupted  monotonous 
chant,  which  was  nearly  drowned  in  the  roar  of  drums. 
In  the  right  hand  they  held  a  finely  woven  grass  fan, 
with  a  heavy  black  wooden  handle  curiously  chased; 
these  fans  they  kept  in  continual  motion. 

But  no  attention  whatever  seemed  to  be  paid  to  the 
drummers  or  to  the  old  priests,  the  individuals  who 
composed  the  vast  crowd  present  being  entirely  taken 
up  in  chatting  and  laughing  with  one  another,  smok 
ing,  drinking  arva,  and  eating.  For  all  the  observa 
tion  it  attracted,  or  the  good  it  achieved,  the  whole 
savage  orchestra  might,  with  great  advantage  to  its 
own  members  and  the  company  in  general,  have  ceased 
the  prodigious  uproar  they  were  making. 

In  vain  I  questioned  Kory-Kory  and  others  of  the 
natives  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  strange  things  that 
were  going  on;  all  their  explanations  were  conveyed 
in  such  a  mass  of  outlandish  gibberish  and  gesticula 
tion  that  I  gave  up  the  attempt  in  despair.  All  that 
day  the  drums  resounded,  the  priests  chanted,  and  the 
multitude  feasted  and  roared  till  sunset,  when  the 
throng  dispersed,  and  the  Taboo  Groves  were  again 
abandoned  to  quiet  and  repose.  The  next  day  the 
same  scene  was  repeated  until  night,  when  this  singu 
lar  festival  terminated. 


CHAPTER   XXIV 
SINGULAR  SUPERSTITIONS 

ALTHOUGH  I  had  been  baffled  in  my  attempts  to  learn 
the  origin  of  the  Feast  of  Calabashes,  yet  it  seemed  very 
plain  to  me  that  it  was  principally,  if  not  wholly,  of  a 
religious  character.  As  a  religious  solemnity,  however, 
it  had  not  at  all  corresponded  with  the  horrible  descrip 
tions  of  Polynesian  worship  which  we  have  received 
in  some  published  narratives. 

In  a  certain  work  incidentally  treating  of  the  "Wash 
ington,  or  Northern  Marquesas  Islands,"  I  have  seen  the 
frequent  immolation  of  human  victims  upon  the  altars 
of  their  gods  positively  and  repeatedly  charged  upon 
the  inhabitants.  The  same  work  gives  also  a  rather 
minute  account  of  their  religion  —  enumerates  a  great 
many  of  their  superstitions  —  and  makes  known  the 
particular  designations  of  numerous  orders  of  the  priest 
hood.  One  would  almost  imagine  from  the  long  list  that 
is  given  of  cannibal  primates,  bishops,  archdeacons, 
prebendaries,  and  other  inferior  ecclesiastics  that  the 
sacerdotal  order  far  outnumbered  the  rest  of  the  popu 
lation.  These  accounts  are  likewise  calculated  to  leave 
upon  the  reader's  mind  an  impression  that  human  vic 
tims  are  daily  cooked  and  served  up  upon  the  altars; 
that  heathenish  cruelties  of  every  description  are  con 
tinually  practised;  and  that  these  ignorant  Pagans  are 
in  a  state  of  the  extremest  wretchedness  in  consequence 
of  the  grossness  of  their  superstitions.  Be  it  observed, 

228 


SINGULAR    SUPERSTITIONS  229 

however,  that  all  this  information  is  given  by  a  man 
who,  according  to  his  own  statement,  was  only  at  one 
of  the  islands  and  remained  there  but  two  weeks,  sleep 
ing  every  night  on  board  his  ship,  and  taking  little  kid- 
glove  excursions  ashore  in  the  day-time,  attended  by  an 
armed  party.  , 

Now,  all  I  can  say  is  that  in  all  my  excursions  through 
the  valley  of  Typee,  I  never  saw  any  of  these  alleged 
enormities.  If  any  of  them  are  practised  upon  the 
Marquesas  Islands  they  must  certainly  have  come  to  my 
knowledge,  while  living  for  months  with  a  tribe  of 
savages  wholly  unchanged  from  their  original  primitive 
condition  and  reputed  the  most  ferocious  in  the  South 
Seas. 

The  fact  is  that  there  is  a  vast  deal  of  unintentional 
humbuggery  in  some  of  the  accounts  we  have  from 
scientific  men  concerning  the  religious  institutions  of 
Polynesia.  These  learned  tourists  generally  obtain  the 
greater  part  of  their  information  from  the  retired  old 
South  Sea  rovers  who  have  domesticated  themselves 
among  the  barbarous  tribes  of  the  Pacific.  Jack,  who 
has  long  been  accustomed  to  the  long-bow,  and  to  spin 
tough  yarns  on  a  ship's  forecastle,  invariably  officiates 
as  showman  of  the  island  on  which  he  has  settled,  and 
having  mastered  a  few  dozen  words  of  the  language,  is 
supposed  to  know  all  about  the  people  who  speak  it. 
A  natural  desire  to  make  himself  of  consequence  in  the 
eyes  of  the  strangers  prompts  him  to  lay  claim  to  a 
much  greater  knowledge  of  such  matters  than  he  actually 
possesses.  In  reply  to  incessant  queries,  he  communi 
cates  not  only  all  he  knows  but  a  good  deal  more,  and 
if  there  be  any  information  deficient  still,  he  is  at  no  loss 
to  supply  it.  The  avidity  with  which  his  anecdotes  are 
noted  down  tickles  his  vanity,  and  his  powers  of  inven- 


230  TYPEE 

tion  increase  with  the  credulity  of  his  auditors.  He 
knows  just  the  sort  of  information  wanted,  and  furnishes 
it  to  any  extent. 

This  is  not  a  supposed  case;  I  have  met  with  several 
individuals  like  the  one  described,  and  I  have  been 
present  at  two  or  three  of  their  interviews  with  strangers. 

Now,  when  the  scientific  voyager  arrives  at  home 
with  his  collection  of  wonders,  he  attempts,  perhaps,  to 
give  a  description  of  some  of  the  strange  people  he  has 
been  visiting.  Instead  of  representing  them  as  a  com 
munity  of  lusty  savages,  who  are  leading  a  merry,  idle, 
innocent  life,  he  enters  into  a  very  circumstantial  and 
learned  narrative  of  certain  unaccountable  superstitions 
and  practices,  about  which  he  knows  as  little  as  the 
islanders  do  themselves.  Having  had  little  time  and 
scarcely  any  opportunity  to  become  acquainted  with  the 
customs  he  pretends  to  describe,  he  writes  them  down 
one  after  another  in  an  off-hand,  haphazard  style;  and 
were  the  book  thus  produced  to  be  translated  into  the 
tongue  of  the  people  of  whom  it  purports  to  give  the 
history,  it  would  appear  quite  as  wonderful  to  them 
as  it  does  to  the  American  public,  and  much  more 
improbable. 

For  my  own  part,  I  am  free  to  confess  my  almost 
entire  inability  to  gratify  any  curiosity  that  may  be  felt 
with  regard  to  the  theology  of  the  valley.  I  doubt 
whether  the  inhabitants  themselves  could  do  so.  They 
are  either  too  lazy  or  too  sensible  to  worry  themselves 
about  abstract  points  of  religious  belief.  While  I  was 
among  them  they  never  held  any  synods  or  councils  to 
settle  the  principles  of  their  faith  by  agitating  them. 
An  unbounded  liberty  of  conscience  seemed  to  prevail. 
Those  who  pleased  to  do  so  were  allowed  to  repose 
implicit  faith  in  an  ill-favoured  god  with  a  large  bottle 


SINGULAR    SUPERSTITIONS  231 

nose  and  fat  shapeless  arms  crossed  upon  his  breast, 
whilst  others  worshipped  an  image  which,  having  no 
likeness  either  in  heaven  or  on  earth,  could  hardly  be 
called  an  idol.  As  the  islanders  always  maintained  a 
discreet  reserve  with  regard  to  my  own  peculiar  views 
on  religion,  I  thought  it  would  be  excessively  ill-bred 
in  me  to  pry  into  theirs. 

But,  although  my  knowledge  of  the  religious  faith  of 
the  Typees  was  unavoidably  limited,  one  of  their  super 
stitious  observances  with  which  I  became  acquainted 
interested  me  greatly. 

In  one  of  the  most  secluded  portions  of  the  valley 
within  a  stone's  cast  of  Fayaway's  lake  —  for  so  I 
christened  the  scene  of  our  island  yachting  —  and  hard 
by  a  growth  of  palms,  which  stood  ranged  in  order 
along  both  banks  of  the  stream,  waving  their  green 
arms  as  if  to  do  honour  to  its  passage,  was  the  mauso 
leum  of  a  deceased  warrior  chief.  Like  all  the  other 
edifices  of  any  note,  it  was  raised  upon  a  small  pi-pi  of 
stones,  which,  being  of  unusual  height,  was  a  conspicu 
ous  object  from  a  distance.  A  light  thatching  of  bleached 
palmetto-leaves  hung  over  it  like  a  self -supported 
canopy;  for  it  was  not  until  you  came  very  near  that 
you  saw  it  was  supported  by  four  slender  columns  of 
bamboo  rising  at  each  corner  to  a  little  more  than  the 
height  of  a  man.  A  clear  area  of  a  few  yards  surrounded 
the  pi-pi,  and  was  enclosed  by  four  trunks  of  cocoa-nut 
trees  resting  at  the  angles  on  massive  blocks  of  stone. 
The  place  was  sacred.  The  sign  of  the  inscrutable 
taboo  was  seen  in  the  shape  of  a  mystic  roll  of  white 
tappa,  suspended  by  a  twisted  cord  of  the  same  material 
from  the  top  of  a  slight  pole  planted  within  the  en 
closure.1  The  sanctity  of  the  spot  appeared  never  to 

1  White  appears  to  be  the  sacred  colour  among  the  Marquesans 
— [Melville's  note]. 


232  TYPEE 

have  been  violated.  The  stillness  of  the  grave  was 
there,  and  the  calm  solitude  around  was  beautiful  and 
touching.  The  soft  shadows  of  those  lofty  palm-trees! 
—  I  can  see  them  now  —  hanging  over  the  little  temple, 
as  if  to  keep  out  the  intrusive  sun. 

On  all  sides  as  you  approached  this  silent  spot  you 
caught  sight  of  the  dead  chief's  effigy,  seated  in  the  stern 
of  a  canoe,  which  was  raised  on  a  light  frame  a  few 
inches  above  the  level  of  the  pi-pi.  The  canoe  was  about 
seven  feet  in  length,  of  a  rich  dark  coloured  wood, 
handsomely  carved  and  adorned  in  many  places  with 
variegated  bindings  of  stained  sinnate,  into  which  were 
ingeniously  wrought  a  number  of  sparkling  seashells,  and 
a  belt  of  the  same  shells  ran  all  around  it.  The  body  of 
the  figure  —  of  whatever  material  it  might  have  been 
made  —  was  effectually  concealed  in  a  heavy  robe  of 
brown  tappa,  revealing  only  the  hands  and  head,  the 
latter  skilfully  carved  in  wood,  and  surmounted  by  a 
superb  arch  of  plumes.  These  plumes,  in  the  subdued 
and  gentle  gales  which  found  access  to  this  sequestered 
spot,  were  never  for  one  moment  at  rest,  but  kept  nod 
ding  and  waving  over  the  chief's  brow.  The  long  leaves 
of  the  palmetto  dropped  over  the  eaves,  and  through 
them  you  saw  the  warrior  holding  his  paddle  with  both 
hands  in  the  act  of  rowing,  leaning  forward  and  inclining 
his  head,  as  if  eager  to  hurry  on  his  voyage.  Glaring  at 
him  forever,  and  face  to  face,  was  a  polished  human 
skull,  which  crowned  the  prow  of  the  canoe.  The  spec 
tral  figure-head,  reversed  in  its  position,  glancing  back 
wards,  seemed  to  mock  the  impatient  attitude  of  the 
warrior. 

When  I  first  visited  this  singular  place  with  Kory- 
Kory,  he  told  me  —  or  at  least  I  so  understood  him  — 
that  the  chief  was  paddling  his  way  to  the  realms  of  bliss 


SINGULAR    SUPERSTITIONS  233 

and  bread-fruit  —  the  Polynesian  heaven  —  where  every 
moment  the  bread-fruit  trees  dropped  their  ripened 
spheres  to  the  ground,  and  where  there  was  no  end  to  the 
cocoa-nuts  and  bananas;  there  they  reposed  through  the 
livelong  eternity  upon  mats  much  finer  than  those  of 
Typee,  and  every  day  bathed  their  glowing  limbs  in 
rivers  of  cocoa-nut  oil.  In  that  happy  land  there  were 
plenty  of  plumes  and  feathers  and  boars'-tusks  and 
sperm-whale  teeth,  far  preferable  to  all  shining  trinkets 
and  gay  tappa  of  the  white  men;  and,  best  of  all,  women, 
far  lovelier  than  the  daughters  of  earth,  were  there  in 
abundance.  A  very  pleasant  place,  Kory-Kory  said  it 
was;  but  after  all  not  much  pleasanter,  he  thought,  than 
Typee.  Did  he  not  then,  I  asked  him,  wish  to  accom 
pany  the  warrior?  Oh,  no  he  was  very  happy  where  he 
was,  but  supposed  that  some  time  or  other  he  would  go 
in  his  own  canoe. 

Thus  far,  I  think,  I  clearly  comprehended  Kory-Kory. 
But  there  was  a  singular  expression  he  made  use  of  at 
the  time,  enforced  by  as  singular  a  gesture,  the  meaning 
of  which  I  would  have  given  much  to  penetrate.  I  am 
inclined  to  believe  it  must  have  been  a  proverb  he  ut 
tered;  for  I  afterwards  heard  him  repeat  the  same  words 
several  times,  and  in  what  appeared  to  me  to  be  a  some 
what  similar  sense.  Indeed,  Kory-Kory  had  a  great 
variety  of  short,  smart-sounding  sentences  with  which  he 
frequently  enlivened  his  discourse;  and  he  introduced 
them  with  an  air  which  plainly  intimated  that  in  his 
opinion  they  settled  the  matter  in  question,  whatever  it 
might  be. 

Could  it  have  been,  then,  that  when  I  asked  him 
whether  he  desired  to  go  to  this  heaven  of  bread-fruit, 
cocoa-nuts,  and  young  ladies  which  he  had  been  describ 
ing,  he  answered  by  saying  something  equivalent  to  our 


234  TYPEE 

old  adage  —  "A  bird  in  the  hand  is  worth  two  in  the 
bush"?  If  he  did,  Kory-Kory  was  a  discreet  and  sensi 
ble  fellow,  and  I  cannot  sufficiently  admire  his  shrewd 
ness. 

Whenever  in  the  course  of  my  rambles  through  the 
valley  I  happened  to  be  near  the  chief's  mausoleum,  I 
always  turned  aside  to  visit  it.  The  place  had  a  pecu 
liar  charm  for  me;  I  hardly  know  why,  but  so  it  was. 
As  I  leaned  over  the  railing  and  gazed  upon  the  strange 
effigy  and  watched  the  play  of  the  feathery  head-dress, 
stirred  by  the  same  breeze  which  in  low  tones  breathed 
amidst  the  lofty  palm-trees,  I  loved  to  yield  myself  up 
to  the  fanciful  superstition  of  the  islanders,  and  could 
almost  believe  that  the  grim  warrior  was  bound  heaven 
ward.  In  this  mood  when  I  turned  to  depart,  I  bade 
him  "God  speed,  and  a  pleasant  voyage."  Aye,  paddle 
away,  brave  chieftain,  to  the  land  of  spirits!  To  the 
material  eye  thou  makest  but  little  progress;  but  with 
the  eye  of  faith,  I  see  thy  canoe  cleaving  the  bright 
waves  which  die  away  on  those  dimly  looming  shores  of 
Paradise. 

This  strange  superstition  affords  another  evidence  of 
the  fact  that  however  ignorant  man  may  be,  he  still 
feels  within  him  his  immortal  spirit  yearning  after  the 
unknown  future. 

Although  the  religious  theories  of  the  islands  were  a 
complete  mystery  to  me,  their  practical  every-day  opera 
tion  could  not  be  concealed.  I  frequently  passed  the 
little  temples  reposing  in  the  shadows  of  the  taboo  groves 
and  beheld  the  offerings  —  mouldy  fruits  spread  out 
upon  a  rude  altar,  or  hanging  in  half-decayed  baskets 
around  some  uncouth  jolly-looking  image;  I  was  present 
during  the  continuance  of  the  festival ;  I  daily  beheld  the 
grinning  idols  marshalled  rank  and  file  in  the  Hoolah 


SINGULAR    SUPERSTITIONS  235 

Hoolah  ground,  and  was  often  in  the  habit  of  meeting 
those  whom  I  supposed  to  be  priests.  But  the  temples 
seemed  abandoned  to  solitude;  the  festival  had  been 
nothing  more  than  a  jovial  mingling  of  the  tribe;  the 
idols  were  quite  as  harmless  as  any  other  logs  of  wood; 
and  the  priests  were  the  merriest  dogs  in  the  valley. 

In  fact  religious  affairs  in  Typee  were  at  a  very  low 
ebb;  all  such  matters  sat  very  lightly  upon  the  thought 
less  inhabitants;  and,  in  the  celebration  of  many  of  their 
strange  rites,  they  appeared  merely  to  seek  a  sort  of  child 
ish  amusement. 

A  curious  evidence  of  this  was  given  in  a  remarkable 
ceremony  in  which  I  frequently  saw  Mehevi  and  several 
other  chiefs  and  warriors  of  note  take  part,  but  never  a 
single  female. 

Among  those  whom  I  looked  upon  as  forming  the 
priesthood  of  the  valley  there  was  one  in  particular  who 
often  attracted  my  notice,  and  whom  I  could  not  help 
regarding  as  the  head  of  the  order.  He  was  a  noble  look 
ing  man,  in  the  prime  of  his  life,  and  of  a  most  benignant 
aspect.  The  authority  this  man,  whose  name  was 
Kolory,  seemed  to  exercise  over  the  rest,  the  episcopal 
part  he  took  in  the  Feast  of  Calabashes,  his  sleek  and 
complacent  appearance,  the  mystic  characters  which 
were  tattooed  upon  his  breast,  and  above  all  the  mitre 
he  frequently  wore,  in  the  shape  of  a  towering  head 
dress,  consisting  of  part  of  a  cocoa-nut  branch,  the  stalk 
planted  uprightly  on  his  brow  and  the  leaflets  gathered 
together  and  passed  round  the  temples  and  behind  the 
ears,  all  these  pointed  him  out  as  Lord  Primate  of  Ty 
pee.  Kolory  was  a  sort  of  a  Knight  Templar  —  a  soldier- 
priest;  for  he  often  wore  the  dress  of  a  Marquesan 
warrior,  and  always  carried  a  long  spear,  which,  instead 
of  terminating  in  a  paddle  at  the  lower  end  after  the  gen- 


236  TYPEE 

era!  fashion  of  these  weapons,  was  curved  into  a  heathen 
ish-looking  little  image.  This  instrument,  however, 
might  perhaps  have  been  emblematic  of  his  double  func 
tions.  With  one  end  in  carnal  combat  he  transfixed  the 
enemies  of  his  tribe,  and  with  the  other  as  a  pastoral 
crook  he  kept  in  order  his  spiritual  flock. 

But  this  is  not  all  I  have  to  say  about  Kolory.  His 
martial  grace  very  often  carried  about  with  him  what 
seemed  to  me  the  half  of  a  broken  war-club.  It  was 
swathed  around  with  ragged  bits  of  white  tappa,  and  the 
upper  part,  which  was  intended  to  represent  a  human 
head,  was  embellished  with  a  strip  of  scarlet  cloth  of  Eu 
ropean  manufacture.  It  required  little  observation  to  dis 
cover  that  this  strange  object  was  revered  as  a  god.  By  the 
side  of  the  big  and  lusty  images  standing  sentinel  over 
the  altars  of  the  Hoolah  Hoolah  ground,  it  seemed  a 
mere  pigmy  in  tatters.  But  appearances  all  the  world 
over  are  deceptive.  Little  men  are  sometimes  very 
potent,  and  rags  sometimes  cover  very  extensive  pre 
tensions.  In  fact,  this  funny  little  image  was  the  "crack" 
god  of  the  island,  lording  it  over  all  the  wooden  lubbers 
who  looked  so  grim  and  dreadful;  its  name  was  Moa 
Atua.  And  it  was  in  honour  of  Moa  Atua,  and  for 
the  entertainment  of  those  who  believed  in  him,  that 
the  curious  ceremony  I  am  about  to  describe  was  ob 
served. 

Mehevi  and  the  chieftains  of  the  Ti  have  just  risen 
from  their  noontide  slumbers.  There  are  no  affairs  of 
state  to  dispose  of;  and  having  eaten  two  or  three  break 
fasts  in  the  course  of  the  morning,  the  magnates  of  the 
valley  feel  no  appetite  as  yet  for  dinner.  How  are  their 
leisure  moments  to  be  occupied?  They  smoke,  they 
chat,  and  at  last  one  of  their  number  makes  a  proposi 
tion  to  the  rest,  who  joyfully  acquiescing,  he  darts  out 


SINGULAR   SUPERSTITIONS  237 

of  the  house,  leaps  from  the  pi-pi,  and  disappears  in  the 
grove.  .  Soon  you  see  him  returning  with  Kolory,  who 
bears  the  god  Moa  Atua  in  his  arms,  and  carries  in  one 
hand  a  small  trough  hollowed  out  in  the  likeness  of  a 
canoe.  The  priest  comes  along  dandling  his  charge  as  if 
it  were  a  lachrymose  infant  he  was  endeavouring  to  put 
into  a  good  humour.  Presently,  entering  the  Ti,  he  seats 
himself  on  the  mats  as  composedly  as  a  juggler  about 
to  perform  his  sleight-of-hand  tricks ;  and  with  the  chiefs 
disposed  in  a  circle  around  him,  commences  his  ceremony. 
In  the  first  place  he  gives  Moa  Atua  an  affectionate 
hug,  then  caressingly  lays  him  to  his  breast,  and,  finally, 
whispers  something  in  his  ear,  the  rest  of  the  company 
listening  eagerly  for  a  reply.  But  the  baby-god  is  deaf 
or  dumb  —  perhaps  both,  for  never  a  word  does  he  utter. 
At  last  Kolory  speaks  a  little  louder,  and  soon  growing 
angry,  comes  boldly  out  with  what  he  has  to  say  and 
bawls  to  him.  He  put  me  in  mind  of  a  choleric  fellow, 
who,  after  trying  in  vain  to  communicate  a  secret  to  a 
deaf  man,  all  at  once  flies  into  a  passion  and  screams  it 
out  so  that  every  one  may  hear.  Still  Moa  Atua  re 
mains  as  quiet  as  ever;  and  Kolory,  seemingly  losing 
his  temper,  fetches  him  a  box  over  the  head,  strips  him 
of  his  tappa  and  red  cloth,  and  laying  him  in  a  state  of 
nudity  in  the  little  trough,  covers  him  from  sight.  At 
this  proceeding  all  present  loudly  applaud  and  signify 
their  approval  by  uttering  the  adjective  "motarkee" 
with  violent  emphasis.  Kolory,  however,  is  so  desirous 
his  conduct  should  meet  with  unqualified  approbation 
that  he  inquires  of  each  individual  separately  whether, 
under  existing  circumstances,  he  has  not  done  perfectly 
right  in  shutting  up  Moa  Atua.  The  invariable  response 
is  "Aa,  Aa,"  (yes,  yes),  repeated  over  again  and  again 
in  a  manner  which  ought  to  quiet  the  scruples  of  the 


238  TYPEE 

most  conscientious.  After  a  few  moments  Kolory  brings 
forth  his  doll  again,  and  while  arraying  it  very  carefully 
in  the  tappa  and  red  cloth,  alternately  fondles  and  chides 
it.  The  toilet  being  completed,  he  once  more  speaks  to 
it  aloud.  The  whole  company  hereupon  show  the  greatest 
interest,  while  the  priest  holding  Moa  Atua  to  his  ear 
interprets  to  them  what  he  pretends  the  god  is  con 
fidentially  communicating  to  him.  Some  items  of  in- 
tellirence  appear  to  tickle  all  present  amazingly;  for 
one  claps  his  hands  in  rapture,  another  shouts  with 
merriment,  and  a  third  leaps  to  his  feet  and  capers  about 
like  a  madman. 

What  under  the  sun  Moa  Atya  on  these  occasions  had 
to  say  to  Kolory  I  never  could  find  out;  but  I  could  not 
help  thinking  that  the  former  showed  a  sad  want  of 
spirit  in  being  disciplined  into  making  those  disclosures 
which  at  first  he  seemed  bent  on  withholding.  Whether 
the  priest  honestly  interpreted  what  he  believed  the  di 
vinity  said  to  him,  or  whether  he  was  not  all  the  while 
guilty  of  a  vile  humbug,  I  shall  not  presume  to  decide. 
At  any  rate,  whatever  as  coming  from  the  god  was  im 
parted  to  those  present  seemed  to  be  generally  of  a  com 
plimentary  nature,  a  fact  which  illustrates  the  sagacity 
of  Kolory  or  else  the  time-serving  disposition  of  this 
hardly  used  deity. 

Moa  Atua  having  nothing  more  to  say,  his  bearer  goes 
to  nursing  him  again,  in  which  occupation,  however,  he 
is  soon  interrupted  by  a  question  put  by  one  of  the 
warriors  to  the  god.  Kolory  hereupon  snatches  it  up  to 
his  ear  again,  and  after  listening  attentively,  once  more 
officiates  as  the  organ  of  communication.  A  multitude 
of  questions  and  answers  having  passed  between  the 
parties,  much  to  the  satisfaction  of  those  who  propose 
them,  the  god  is  put  tenderly  to  bed  in  the  trough,  and 


SINGULAR    SUPERSTITIONS  239 

the  whole  company  unite  in  a  long  chaunt,  led  off  by 
Kolory.  This  ended,  the  ceremony  is  over;  the  chiefs 
rise  to  their  feet  in  high  good  humor,  and  my  Lord  Arch 
bishop,  after  chatting  awhile  and  regaling  himself  with  a 
whiff  or  two  from  a  pipe  of  tobacco,  tucks  the  canoe 
under  his  arm  and  marches  off  with  it. 

The  whole  of  these  proceedings  were  like  those  of  a 
parcel  of  children  playing  with  dolls  and  baby  houses. 

For  a  youngster  scarcely  ten  inches  high,  and  with  so 
few  early  advantages  as  he  doubtless  had  had,  Moa 
Atua  was  certainly  a  precocious  little  fellow  if  he  really 
said  all  that  was  imputed  to  him;  but  for  what  reason 
this  poor  devil  of  a  deity,  thus  cuffed  about,  cajoled,  and 
shut  up  in  a  box,  was  held  in  greater  estimation  than  the 
full-grown  and  dignified  personages  of  the  Taboo  Groves, 
I  cannot  divine.  And  yet  Mehevi  and  other  chiefs  of  un 
questionable  veracity  —  to  say  nothing  of  the  Primate 
himself  —  assured  me  over  and  over  again  that  Moa  Atua 
was  the  tutelary  deity  of  Typee,  and  was  more  to  be 
held  in  honour  than  a  whole  battalion  of  the  clumsy  idols 
in  the  Hoolah  Hoolah  grounds.  Kory-Kory  —  who 
seemed  to  have  devoted  considerable  attention  to  the 
study  of  theology,  as  he  knew  the  names  of  all  the 
graven  images  in  the  valley  and  often  repeated  them  over 
to  me  —  likewise  entertained  some  rather  enlarged  ideas 
with  regard  to  the  character  and  pretensions  of  Moa 
Atua.  He  once  gave  me  to  understand,  with  a  gesture 
there  was  no  misconceiving,  that  if  he  (Moa  Atua)  were 
so  minded^  he  could  cause  a  cocoa-nut  tree  to  sprout  out 
of  his  (Kory-Kory's)  head;  and  that  it  would  be  the 
easiest  thing  in  life  for  him  (Moa  Atua)  to  take  the 
whole  island  of  Nukuheva  in  his  mouth  and  dive  down  to 
the  bottom  of  the  sea  with  it. 

But  in  sober  seriousness,  I  hardly  knew  what  to  make 


240  TYPEE 

of  the  religion  of  the  valley.  There  was  nothing  that 
so  much  perplexed  the  illustrious  Cook,  in  his  intercourse 
with  the  South  Sea  islanders,  as  their  sacred  rites.  Al 
though  this  prince  of  navigators  was  in  many  instances 
assisted  by  interpreters  in  the  prosecution  of  his  re 
searches,  he  still  frankly  acknowledges  that  he  was  at  a 
loss  to  obtain  anything  like  a  clear  insight  into  the  puz 
zling  arcana  of  their  faith.  A  similar  admission  has  been 
made  by  other  eminent  voyagers:  by  Carteret,  Byron, 
Kotzebue,  and  Vancouver. 

For  my  own  part,  although  hardly  a  day  passed  while 
I  remained  upon  the  island  that  I  did  not  witness  some 
religious  ceremony  or  other,  it  was  very  much  like  see 
ing  a  parcel  of  Freemasons  making  secret  signs  to  each 
other;  I  saw  everything,  but  could  comprehend  nothing. 

On  the  whole  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  the 
islanders  in  the  Pacific  have  no  fixed  and  definite  ideas 
whatever  on  the  subject  of  religion.  I  am  persuaded 
that  Kolory  himself  would  be  effectually  posed  were  he 
called  upon  to  draw  up  the  articles  of  his  faith  and  pro 
nounce  the  creed  by  which  he  hoped  to  be  saved.  In 
truth,  the  Typees,  so  far  as  their  actions  evince,  sub 
mitted  to  no  laws  human  or  divine  —  always  excepting 
the  thrice  mysterious  taboo.  The  "independent  electors" 
of  the  valley  were  not  to  be  brow-beaten  by  chiefs, 
priests,  idols,  or  devils.  As  for  the  luckless  idols,  they 
received  more  hard  knocks  than  supplications.  I  do  not 
wonder  that  some  of  them  looked  so  grim,  and  stood  so 
bolt  upright  as  if  fearful  of  looking  to  the  right  or  the 
left  lest  they  should  give  any  one  offence.  The  fact  is 
they  had  to  carry  themselves  pretty  straight  or  suffer 
the  consequences.  Their  worshippers  were  such  a  pre 
cious  set  of  fickle-minded  and  irreverent  heathens  that 
there  was  no  telling  when  they  might  topple  one  of  them 


SINGULAR    SUPERSTITIONS  241 

over,  break  it  to  pieces,  and  making  a  fire  with  it  on  the 
very  altar  itself,  fall  to  roasting  the  offerings  of  bread 
fruit  and  eat  them  in  spite  of  its  teeth. 

In  how  little  reverence  these  unfortunate  deities  were 
held  by  the  natives  was  on  one  occasion  most  convin 
cingly  proved  to  me.  Walking  with  Kory-Kory  through 
the  deepest  recesses  of  the  groves,  I  perceived  a  curious 
looking  image,  about  six  feet  in  height,  which  originally 
had  been  placed  upright  against  a  low  pi-pi,  surmounted 
by  a  ruinous  bamboo  temple,  but,  having  become  fatigued 
and  weak  in  the  knees,  was  now  carelessly  leaning  against 
it.  The  idol  was  partly  concealed  by  the  foliage  of  a 
tree  which  stood  near,  and  whose  leafy  boughs  drooped 
over  the  pile  of  stones  as  if  to  protect  the  rude  fane  from 
the  decay  to  which  it  was  rapidly  hastening.  The  image 
itself  was  nothing  more  than  a  grotesquely  shaped  log, 
carved  in  the  likeness  of  a  portly  naked  man  with  the 
arms  clasped  over  the  head,  the  jaws  thrown  wide  apart, 
and  its  thick  shapeless  legs  bowed  into  an  arch.  It  was 
much  decayed.  The  lower  part  was  overgrown  with  a 
bright  silky  moss.  Thin  spears  of  grass  sprouted  from 
the  distended  mouth  and  fringed  the  outline  of  the  head 
and  arms.  His  godship  had  literally  attained  a  green  old 
age.  All  its  prominent  points  were  bruised  and  battered, 
or  entirely  rotted  away.  The  nose  had  taken  its  depar 
ture,  and  from  the  general  appearance  of  the  head  it  might 
have  been  supposed  that  the  wooden  divinity,  in  despair 
at  the  neglect  of  its  worshippers,  had  been  trying  to  beat 
its  own  brains  out  against  the  surrounding  trees. 

I  drew  near  to  inspect  more  closely  this  strange  object 
of  idolatry,  but  halted  reverently  at  the  distance  of  two 
or  three  paces,  out  of  regard  to  the  religious  prejudices 
of  my  valet.  As  soon,  however,  as  Kory-Kory  perceived 
that  I  was  in  one  of  my  inquiring,  scientific  moods,  to 


242  TYPEE 

my  astonishment,  he  sprang  to  the  side  of  the  idol,  and 
pushing  it  away  from  the  stones  against  which  it  rested, 
endeavoured  to  make  it  stand  upon  its  legs.  But  the 
divinity  had  lost  the  use  of  them  altogether;  and  while 
Kory-Kory  was  trying  to  prop  it  up,  by  placing  a  stick 
between  it  and  the  pi-pi,  the  monster  fell  clumsily  to  the 
ground,  and  would  infallibly  have  broken  its  neck  had 
not  Kory-Kory  providentially  broken  its  fall  by  receiving 
its  whole  weight  on  his  own  half-crushed  back.  I  never 
saw  the  honest  fellow  in  such  a  rage  before.  He  leaped 
furiously  to  his  feet,  and  seizing  the  stick,  began  beating 
the  poor  image,  even*  moment  or  two  pausing  and  talk 
ing  to  it  in  the  most  vehement  manner,  as  if  upbraiding 
it  for  the  accident.  When  his  indignation  had  subsided  a 
little  he  whirled  the  idol  about  most  profanely,  so  as  to 
give  me  an  opportunity  of  examining  it  on  all  sides.  I 
am  quite  sure  I  never  should  have  presumed  to  have 
taken  such  liberties  with  the  god  myself,  and  I  was  not 
a  little  shocked  at  Kory-Kory's  impiety. 

This  anecdote  speaks  for  itself.  When  one  of  the 
inferior  order  of  natives  could  show  such  contempt  for 
a  venerable  and  decrepit  God  of  the  Groves,  what  the 
state  of  religion  must  be  among  the  people  in  general 
is  easily  to  be  imagined.  In  truth,  I  regard  the  Typees 
as  a  back-slidden  generation.  They  are  sunk  in  reli 
gious  sloth,  and  require  a  spiritual  revival.  A  long  pros 
perity  of  bread-fruit  and  cocoa-nuts  has  rendered  them 
remiss  in  the  performance  of  their  higher  obligations. 
The  wood-rot  malady  is  spreading  among  the  idols  —  the 
fruit  upon  their  altars  is  becoming  offensive  —  the  temples 
themselves  need  re-thatching  —  the  tattooed  clergy  are 
altogether  too  light-hearted  and  lazy  —  and  their  flocks 
are  going  astray. 


CHAPTER    XXV 
KING    MEHEVI 

ALTHOUGH  I  had  been  unable  during  the  late  festi 
val  to  obtain  information  on  many  interesting  subjects 
which  had  much  excited  my  curiosity,  still  that  impor 
tant  event  had  not  passed  by  without  adding  materially 
to  my  general  knowledge  of  the  islanders. 

I  was  especially  struck  by  the  physical  strength  and 
beauty  wrhich  they  displayed,  by  their  great  superiority 
in  these  respects  over  the  inhabitants  of  the  neighbour 
ing  bay  of  Xukuheva,  and  by  the  singular  contrasts  they 
presented  among  themselves  in  their  various  shades. of 
complexion. 

In  beauty  of  form  they  surpassed  anything  I  had 
ever  seen.  Xot  a  single  instance  of  natural  deformity 
was  observable  in  all  the  throng  attending  the  revels 
Occasionally  I  noticed  among  the  men  the  scars  of 
wounds  they  had  received  in  battle,  and  sometimes, 
though  very  seldom,  the  loss  of  a  finger,  an  eye.  or  an 
arm,  attributable  to  the  same  cause.  With  these  ex 
ceptions,  every  individual  appeared  free  from  those  blem 
ishes  which  sometimes  mar  the  effect  of  an  otherwise 
perfect  form.  But  their  physical  excellence  did  not 
merely  consist  in  an  exemption  from  these  evils;  nearly 
every  individual  of  their  number  might  have  been  taken 
for  a  sculptor's  model. 

When  I  remembered  that  these  islanders  derived  no 
advantage  from  dress,  but  appeared  in  all  the  naked 
simplicity  of  nature,  I  could  not  avoid  comparing  them 

243 


244  TYPEE 

with  the  fine  gentlemen  and  dandies  who  promenade  such 
unexceptionable  figures  in  our  frequented  thoroughfares. 
Stripped  of  the  cunning  artifices  of  the  tailor  and  stand 
ing  forth  in  the  garb  of  Eden  —  what  a  sorry  set  of 
round-shouldered,  spindle-shanked,  crane-necked  varlets 
would  civilised  men  appear!  Stuffed  calves,  padded 
breasts,  and  scientifically  cut  •  pantaloons  would  then 
avail  them  nothing,  and  the  effect  would  be  truly  de 
plorable. 

Nothing  in  the  appearance  of  the  islanders  struck  me 
more  forcibly  than  the  whiteness  of  their  teeth.  The 
novelist  always  compares  the  masticators  of  his  heroine 
to  ivory;  but  I  boldly  pronounce  the  teeth  of  the  Typees 
to  be  far  more  beautiful  than  ivory  itself.  The  jaws 
of  the  oldest  greybeards  among  them  were  much  better 
garnished  than  those  of  most  of  the  youths  of  civilised 
countries,  while  the  teeth  of  the  young  and  middle-aged, 
in  their  purity  and  whiteness,  were  actually  dazzling  to 
the  eye.  This  marvellous  whiteness  of  the  teeth  is  to  be 
ascribed  to  the  pure  vegetable  diet  of  these  people  and 
the  uninterrupted  healthfulness  of  their  natural  mode  of 
life. 

The  men,  in  almost  every  instance,  are  of  lofty  stature, 
scarcely  ever  less  than  six  feet  in  height,  while  the  other 
sex  are  uncommonly  diminutive.  The  early  period  of 
life  at  which  the  human  form  arrives  at  maturity  in  this 
generous  tropical  climate  likewise  deserves  to  be  men 
tioned.  A  little  creature,  not  more  than  thirteen  years 
of  age,  and  who  in  other  particulars  might  be  regarded 
as  a  mere  child,  is  often  seen  nursing  her  own  baby, 
whilst  lads  who,  under  less  ripening  skies,  would  be  still 
at  school  are  here  responsible  fathers  of  families. 

On  first  entering  the  Typee  Valley,  I  had  been  struck 
with  the  marked  contrast  presented  by  its  inhabitants 


KING    MEHEVI  245 

with  those  of  the  bay  I  had  previously  left.  In  the  latter 
place,  I  had  not  been  favourably  impressed  with  the 
personal  appearance  of  the  male  portion  of  the  popula 
tion;  although  with  the  females,  excepting  in  some  truly 
melancholy  instances,  I  had  been  wonderfully  pleased. 
I  had  observed  that  even  the  little  intercourse  Europeans 
had  carried  on  with  the  Nukuheva  natives  had  not  failed 
to  leave  its  traces  amongst  them.  One  of  the  most  dread 
ful  curses  under  which  humanity  labours  had  com 
menced  its  havocs,  and  betrayed,  as  it  ever  does  among 
the  South  Sea  islanders,  the  most  aggravated  symptoms. 
From  this,  as  from  all  other  foreign  inflictions,  the  yet 
uncontaminated  tenants  of  the  Typee  Valley  were  wholly 
exempt;  and  long  may  they  continue  so.  Better  will  it 
be  for  them  for  ever  to  remain  the  happy  and  innocent 
heathens  and  barbarians  that  they  now  are.  Apart,  how 
ever,  from  these  considerations,  I  am  inclined  to  believe' 
that  there  exists  a  radical  difference  between  the  two 
tribes,  if  indeed  they  are  not  distinct  races  of  men.  To 
those  who  have  merely  touched  at  Nukuheva  Bay, 
without  visiting  other  portions  of  the  island,  it  would 
hardly  appear  credible  the  diversities  presented  between 
the  various  small  clans  inhabiting  so  diminutive  a  spot. 
But  the  hereditary  hostility  which  has  existed  between 
them  for  ages  fully  accounts  for  this. 

Not  so  easy,  however,  is  it  to  assign  an  adequate  cause 
for  the  endless  variety  of  complexions  to  be  seen  in  the 
Typee  Valley.  During  the  festival  I  had  noticed  several 
young  females,  whose  skins  were  almost  as  white  as  any 
Saxon  damsel's,  a  slight  dash  of  the  mantling  brown 
being  all  that  marked  the  difference.  The  comparative 
fairness  of  complexion,  though  in  a  great  degree  per 
fectly  natural,  is  partly  the  result  of  an  artificial  process, 
and  of  an  entire  exclusion  from  the  sun.  The  juice  of 


246  TYPEE 

the  "papa"  root,  found  in  great  abundance  at  the  head 
of  the  valley,  is  held  in  great  esteem  as  a  cosmetic,  with 
which  many  of  the  females  daily  anoint  their  whole  per 
son.  The  habitual  use  of  it  whitens  and  beautifies  the 
skin.  Those  of  the  young  girls  who  resort  to  this  method 
of  heightening  their  charms  never  expose  themselves 
to  the  rays  of  the  sun,  an  observance,  however,  that 
produces  little  or  no  inconvenience,  since  there  are  but 
few  of  the  inhabited  portions  of  the  vale  which  are  not 
shaded  over  with  a  spreading  canopy  of  boughs,  so  that 
one  may  journey  from  house  to  house,  scarcely  deviating 
from  the  direct  course,  and  yet  never  once  see  his 
shadow  cast  upon  the  ground. 

The  "papa,"  when  used,  is  suffered  to  remain  upon 
the  skin  for  several  hours;  being  of  a  light  green  colour, 
it  consequently  imparts  for  the  time  a  similar  hue  to  the 
complexion.  Nothing,  therefore,  can  be  imagined  more 
singular  than  the  appearance  of  these  nearly  naked  dam 
sels  immediately  after  the  application  of  the  cosmetic. 
To  look  at  one  of  them  you  would  almost  suppose  she 
was  some  vegetable  in  an  unripe  state,  and  that,  instead 
of  living  in  the  shade  forever  she  ought  to  be  placed  in 
the  sun  to  ripen. 

All  the  islanders  are  more  or  less  in  the  habit  of  anoint 
ing  themselves,  the  women  preferring  the  "aka"  or 
"papa,"  and  the  men  using  the  oil  of  the  cocoa-nut. 
Mehevi  was  remarkably  fond  of  mollifying  his  entire 
cuticle  with  this  ointment.  Sometimes  he  might  be 
seen,  with  his  whole  body  fairly  reeking  with  the  per 
fumed  oil  of  the  nut,  looking  as  if  he  had  just  emerged 
from  a  soap-boiler's  vat,  or  had  undergone  the  process 
of  dipping  in  a  tallow-chandlery.  To  this  cause  per 
haps,  united  to  their  frequent  bathing  and  extreme 
cleanliness,  is  ascribable,  in  a  great  measure,  the  mar- 


KING    MEHEVI  247 

vellous  purity  and  smoothness  of  skin  exhibited  by  the 
natives  in  general. 

The  prevailing  tint  among  the  women  of  the  valley 
was  a  light  olive,  and  of  this  style  of  complexion  Fay- 
away  afforded  the  most  beautiful  example.  Others  were 
still  darker,  while  not  a  few  were  of  a  genuine  golden 
colour,  and  some  of  a  swarthy  hue. 

As  agreeing  with  much  previously  mentioned  in  this 
narrative,  I  may  here  observe  that  Mendana,  their  dis 
coverer,  in  his  account  of  the  Marquesas,  described  the 
natives  as  wondrously  beautiful  to  behold,  and  as  nearly 
resembling  the  people  of  southern  Europe.  The  first  of 
these  islands  seen  by  Mendana  was  La  Madelena,  which 
is  not  far  distant  from  Nukuheva;  and  its  inhabitants 
in  every  respect  resemble  those  dwelling  on  that  and 
the  other  islands  of  the  group.  Figueroa,  the  chronicler 
of  Mendana's  voyage,  says  that  on  the  morning  the 
land  was  descried,  when  the  Spaniards  drew  near  the 
shore,  there  sallied  forth  in  rude  procession  about  sev 
enty  canoes,  and  at  the  same  time  many  of  the  inhabi 
tants  (females,  I  presume)  made  towards  the  ships  by 
swimming.  He  adds  that  "in  complexion  they  were 
nearly  white ;  of  good  stature,  and  finely  formed ;  and  on 
their  faces  and  bodies  were  delineated  representations  of 
fishes  and  other  devices."  The  old  Don  then  goes  on  to 
say,  "There  came,  among  others,  two  lads,  paddling  their 
canoe,  whose  eyes  were  fixed  on  the  ship;  they  had 
beautiful  faces  and  the  most  promising  animation  of 
countenance,  and  were  in  all  things  so  becoming  that 
the  pilot-mayor  Quiros  affirmed  nothing  in  his  life  ever 
caused  him  so  much  regret  as  the  leaving  such  fine 
creatures  to  be  lost  in  that  country."1  More  than  two 

1  This  passage,  which  is  cited  as  an  almost  literal  translation 
from  the  original,  I  found  in  a  small  volume  entitled  "Circum- 


248  TYPEE 

hundred  years  have  gone  by  since  the  passage  of  which 
the  above  is  a  translation  was  written;  and  it  appears  to 
me  now,  as  I  read  it,  as  fresh  and  true  as  if  written  but 
yesterday.  The  islanders  are  still  the  same;  and  I  have 
seen  boys  in  the  Typee  Valley  of  whose  "beautiful  faces" 
and  "promising  animation  of  countenance"  no  one  who 
has  not  beheld  them  can  form  any  adequate  idea.  Cook, 
in  the  account  of  his  voyages,  pronounces  the  Marque- 
sans  by  far  the  most  splendid  islanders  in  the  South 
Seas.  Stewart,  the  chaplain  of  the  U.  S.  ship  Vincennes, 
in  his  "Scenes  in  the  South  Seas,"  expresses,  in  more 
than  one  place,  his  amazement  at  the  surpassing  loveli 
ness  of  the  women,  and  says  that  many  of  the  Nukuheva 
damsels  reminded  him  forcibly  of  the  most  celebrated 
beauties  in  his  own  land.  Fanning,  a  Yankee  mariner 
of  some  reputation,  likewise  records  his  lively  impres 
sions  of  the  physical  appearance  of  these  people;  and 
Commodore  David  Porter  of  the  U.  S.  frigate  Essex  is 
said  to  have  been  vastly  smitten  by  the  beauty  of  the 
ladies.  Their  great  superiority  over  all  other  Polyne 
sians  cannot  fail  to  attract  the  notice  of  those  who  visit 
the  principal  groups  in  the  Pacific.  The  voluptuous 
Tahitians  are  the  only  people  who  at  all  deserve  to  be 
compared  with  them,  while  the  dark-hued  Hawaiians 
and  the  woolly-headed  Feejees  are  immeasurably  in 
ferior  to  them.  The  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the 
Marquesan  islanders,  and  that  which  at  once  strikes  you, 
is  the  European  cast  of  their  features  —  a  peculiarity 

navigation  of  the  Globe,"  in  which  volume  are  several  extracts 
from  "Dalrymple's  Historical  Collections."  The  last-mentioned 
work  I  have  never  seen,  but  it  is  said  to  contain  a  very  correct 
English  version  of  great  part  of  the  learned  Doctor  Christoval 
Suaverde  de  Figueroa's  History  of  Mendana's  Voyage,  published 
at  Madrid,  A.D.  1613. — [Melville's  note]. 


KING    MEHEVI  249 

seldom  observable  among  other  uncivilised  people.  Many 
of  their  faces  present  a  profile  classically  beautiful,  and 
in  the  valley  of  Typee  I  saw  several  who,  like  the 
stranger  Marnoo,  were  in  every  respect  models  of  beauty. 

Some  of  the  natives  present  at  the  Feast  of  Calabashes 
had  displayed  a  few  articles  of  European  dress,  disposed, 
however,  about  their  persons  after  their  own  peculiar 
fashion.  Among  these  I  perceived  the  two  pieces  of 
cotton-cloth  which  poor  Toby  and  myself  had  bestowed 
upon  our  youthful  guides  the  afternoon  we  entered  the 
valley.  They  were  evidently  reserved  for  gala  days, 
and  during  those  of  the  festival  they  rendered  the  young 
islanders  who  wore  them  very  distinguished  characters. 
The  small  number  who  were  similarly  adorned,  and  the 
great  value  they  appeared  to  place  upon  the  most  com 
mon  and  most  trivial  articles,  furnished  ample  evidence 
of  the  very  restricted  intercourse  they  held  with  vessels 
touching  at  the  island.  A  few  cotton  handkerchiefs, 
of  a  gay  pattern,  tied  about  the  neck  and  suffered  to  fall 
over  the  shoulders,  strips  of  fanciful  calico  swathed 
about  the  loins,  were  nearly  all  I  saw. 

Indeed,  throughout  the  valley  there  were  few  things 
of  any  kind  to  be  seen  of  European  origin.  All  I  ever 
saw,  beside  the  articles  just  alluded  to,  were  the  six 
muskets  preserved  in  the  Ti,  and  three  or  four  similar 
implements  of  warfare  hung  up  in  other  houses,  some 
small  canvas  bags,  partly  filled  with  bullets  and  powder, 
and  half  a  dozen  old  hatchet-heads,  with  the  edges 
blunted  and  battered  to  such  a  degree  as  to  render 
them  utterly  useless.  These  last  seemed  to  be  regarded 
as  nearly  worthless  by  the  natives;  and  several  times 
they  held  up  one  of  them  before  me,  and  throwing  it 
aside  with  a  gesture  of  disgust,  manifested  their  contempt 
for  anything  that  could  so  soon  become  unserviceable. 


250  TYPEE 

But  the  muskets,  the  powder,  and  the  bullets  were 
held  in  most  extravagant  esteem.  The  former,  from 
their  great  age  and  the  peculiarities  they  exhibited,  were 
well  worthy  a  place  in  any  antiquarian's  armory.  I 
remember  in  particular  one  that  hung  in  the  Ti,  and 
which  Mehevi  —  supposing  as  a  matter  of  course  that  I 
was  able  to  repair  it  —  had  put  into  my  hands  for  that 
purpose.  It  was  one  of  those  clumsy,  old-fashioned,  Eng 
lish  pieces  known  generally  as  Tower  Hill  rnuskets,  and, 
for  aught  I  know,  might  have  been  left  on  the  island 
by  Wallace,  Carteret,  Cook,  or  Vancouver.  The  stock 
was  half  rotten  and  worm-eaten;  the  lock  was  as  rusty 
and  about  as  well  adapted  to  its  ostensible  purpose  as 
an  old  door-hinge;  the  threading  of  the  screws  about 
the  trigger  was  completely  worn  av/ay,  while  the  barrel 
shook  in  the  wood.  Such  was  the  weapon  the  chief 
desired  me  to  restore  to  its  original  condition.  As  I 
did  not  possess  the  accomplishments  of  a  gunsmith, 
and  was  likewise  destitute  of  the  necessary  tools,  I  was 
reluctantly  obliged  to  signify  my  inability  to  perform 
the  task.  At  this  unexpected  communication  Mehevi 
regarded  me,  for  a  moment,  as  if  he  half  suspected  I 
was  some  inferior  sort  of  white  man,  who  after  all  did 
not  know  much  more  than  a  Typee.  However,  after  a 
most  laboured  explanation  of  the  matter,  I  succeeded  in 
making  him  understand  the  extreme  difficulty  of  the 
task.  Scarcely  satisfied  with  my  apologies,  however, 
he  marched  off  with  the  superannuated  musket  in  some 
thing  of  a  huff,  as  if  he  would  no  longer  expose  it  to 
the  indignity  of  being  manipulated  by  such  unskilful 
fingers. 

During  the  festival  I  had  not  failed  to  remark  the 
simplicity  of  manner,  the  freedom  from  all  restraint, 
and,  to  a  certain  degree,  the  equality  of  condition  mani- 


KING    MEHEVI  251 

fested  by  the  natives  in  general.  No  one  appeared  to 
assume  any  arrogant  pretensions.  There  was  little 
more  than  a  slight  difference  in  costume  to  distinguish 
the  chiefs  from  the  other  natives.  All  appeared  to  mix 
together  freely,  and  without  any  reserve;  although  I 
noticed  that  the  wishes  of  a  chief,  even  when  delivered 
in  the  mildest  tone,  received  the  same  immediate  obedi 
ence  which  elsewhere  would  have  been  only  accorded  to 
a  peremptory  command.  What  may  be  the  extent  of 
the  authority  of  the  chiefs  over  the  rest  of  the  tribe,  I 
will  not  venture  to  assert;  but  from  all  I  saw  during 
my  stay  in  the  valley,  I  was  induced  to  believe  that  in 
matters  concerning  the  general  welfare  it  was  very  lim 
ited.  The  required  degree  of  deference  towards  them, 
however,  was  willingly  and  cheerfully  yielded;  and  as  all 
authority  is  transmitted  from  father  to  son,  I  have  no 
doubt  that  one  of  the  effects  here,  as  elsewhere,  of  high 
birth  is  to  induce  respect  and  obedience. 

The  civil  institutions  of  the  Marquesas  Islands  appear 
to  be,  in  this  as  in  other  respects,  directly  the  reverse  of 
those  of  the  Tahitian  and  Hawaiian  groups,  where  the 
original  power  of  the  king  and  chiefs  was  far  more  des 
potic  than  that  of  any  tyrant  in  civilised  countries.  At 
Tahiti  it  used  to  be  death  for  one  of  the  inferior  orders 
to  approach,  without  permission,  under  the  shadow  of 
the  king's  house,  or  fail  in  paying  the  customary  rever 
ence  when  food  destined  for  the  king  was  borne  past 
them  by  his  messengers.  At  the  Sandwich  Islands, 
Kaahumanu,  the  gigantic  old  dowager  queen  —  a  woman 
of  nearly  four  hundred  pounds'  weight,  and  who  is  said 
to  be  still  living  at  Mowee  —  was  accustomed,  in  some 
of  her  terrific  gusts  of  temper,  to  snatch  up  an  ordinary 
sized  man  who  had  offended  her  and  snap  his  spine 
across  her  knee.  Incredible  as  this  may  seem,  it  is  a 


252  TYPEE 

fact.  While  at  Lahainaluna  —  the  residence  of  this  mon 
strous  Jezebel  —  a  humpbacked  wretch  was  pointed  out 
to  me  who,  some  twenty-five  years  previously,  had  had 
the  vertebrae  of  his  back-bone  very  seriously  discomposed 
by  his  gentle  mistress. 

The  particular  grades  of  rank  existing  among  the 
chiefs  of  Typee  I  could  not  in  all  cases  determine. 
Previous  to  the  Feast  of  Calabashes  I  had  been  puzzled 
what  particular  station  to  assign  to  Mehevi.  But  the 
important  part  he  took  upon  that  occasion  convinced 
me  that  he  had  no  superior  among  the  inhabitants  of  the 
valley.  I  had  invariably  noticed  a  certain  degree  of 
deference  paid  to  him  by  all  with  whom  I  had  ever  seen 
him  brought  in  contact;  but  when  I  remembered  that 
my  wanderings  had  been  confined  to  a  limited  portion 
of  the  valley,  and  that  towards  the  sea  a  number  of  dis 
tinguished  chiefs  resided,  some  of  whom  had  separately 
visited  me  at  Marheyo's  house,  and  whom,  until  the 
Festival,  I  had  never  seen  in  the  company  of  Mehevi,  I 
felt  disposed  to  believe  that  his  rank  after  all  might  not 
be  particularly  elevated. 

The  revels,  however,  had  brought  together  all  the 
warriors  whom  I  had  seen  individually  and  in  groups  at 
different  times  and  places.  Among  them  Mehevi  moved 
with  an  easy  air  of  superiority  which  was  not  to  be  mis 
taken;  and  he  whom  I  had  only  looked  at  as  the  hospit 
able  host  of  the  Ti,  and  one  of  the  military  leaders  of 
the  tribe,  now  assumed  in  my  eyes  the  dignity  of  royal 
station.  His  striking  costume,  no  less  than  his  naturally 
commanding  figure,  seemed  indeed  to  give  him  pre 
eminence  over  the  rest.  The  towering  helmet  of  feathers 
that  he  wore  raised  him  in  height  above  all  who  sur 
rounded  him;  and  though  some  others  were  similarly 
adorned,  the  length  and  luxuriance  of  their  plumes  were 
far  inferior  to  his. 


KING    MEHEVI  253 


Mehevi  was  in  fact  the  greatest  of  the  chiefs  —  the 
head  of  his  clan  —  the  sovereign  of  the  valley;  and  the 
simplicity  of  the  social  institutions  of  the  people  could 
not  have  been  more  completely  proved  than  by  the  fact 
that  after  having  been  several  weeks  in  the  valley,  and 
almost  in  daily  intercourse  with  Mehevi,  I  should  have 
remained  until  the  time  of  the  festival  ignorant  of  his 
regal  character.  But  a  new  light  had  now  broken  in 
upon  me.  The  Ti  was  the  palace  —  and  Mehevi  the 
king.  Both  the  one  and  the  other  of  a  most  simple  and 
patriarchial  nature,  it  must  be  allowed,  and  wholly  un 
attended  by  the  ceremonious  pomp  which  usually  sur 
rounds  the  purple. 

After  having  made  this  discovery  I  could  not  avoid 
congratulating  myself  that  Mehevi  had  from  the  first 
taken  me  as  it  were  under  his  royal  protection,  and  that 
he  still  continued  to  entertain  for  me  the  warmest  regard, 
as  far  at  least  as  I  was  enabled  to  judge  from  appear 
ances.  For  the  future  I  determined  to  pay  most  assidu 
ous  court  to  him,  hoping  that  eventually  through  his 
kindness  I  might  obtain  my  liberty. 


CHAPTER   XXVI 
NATIVE    CUSTOMS 

KING  MEHEVI! — A  goodly  sounding  title! — and 
why  should  I  not  bestow  it  upon  the  foremost  man  in 
the  valley  of  Typee?  The  republican  missionaries  of 
Oahu  cause  to  be  gazetted  in  the  Court  Journal,  pub 
lished  at  Honolulu,  the  most  trivial  movements  of  "his 
gracious  majesty"  King  Kamehameha  III.,  and  "their 
highnesses  the  princes  of  the  blood  royal."  And  who 
is  his  "gracious  majesty,"  and  what  the  quality  of  this 
"blood  royal"?  His  "gracious  majesty"  is  a  fat,  lazy 
negro-looking  blockhead,  with  as  little  character  as  power. 
He  has  lost  the  noble  traits  of  the  barbarian  without 
acquiring  the  redeeming  graces  of  a  civilised  being,  and, 
although  a  member  of  the  Hawaiian  Temperance  So 
ciety,  is  a  most  inveterate  dram-drinker.  The  "blood 
royal"  is  an  extremely  thick,  depraved  fluid,  formed 
principally  of  raw  fish,  bad  brandy,  and  European  sweet 
meats. 

Now,  if  the  farcical  puppet  of  a  chief  magistrate  in  the 
Sandwich  Islands  be  allowed  the  title  of  king,  why  should 
it  be  withheld  from  the  noble  savage  Mehevi,  who  is  a 
thousand  times  more  worthy  of  the  appellation?  All 
hail,  therefore,  Mehevi,  King  of  the  Cannibal  Valley, 
and  long  life  and  prosperity  to  his  Typeean  majesty! 
May  Heaven  for  many  a  year  preserve  him,  the  uncom 
promising  foe  of  Nukuheva  and  the  French,  if  a  hostile 
attitude  will  secure  his  lovely  domain  from  the  remorse 
less  inflictions  of  South  Sea  civilisation. 

254 


NATIVE    CUSTOMS  255 

Previously  to  seeing  the  Dancing  Widows  I  had  little 
idea  that  there  were  any  matrimonial  relations  subsisting 
in  Typee,  and  I  should  as  soon  have  thought  of  a  Pla 
tonic  affection  being  cultivated  between  the  sexes  as  of 
the  solemn  connexion  of  man  and  wife.  To  be  sure, 
there  were  old  Marheyo  and  Tinor,  who  seemed  to  have 
a  sort  of  nuptial  understanding  with  one  another;  but 
for  all  that  I  had  sometimes  observed  a  comical-looking 
old  gentleman  dressed  in  a  suit  of  shabby  tattooing  who 
had  the  audacity  to  take  various  liberties  with  the  lady, 
and  that  too  in  the  very  presence  of  the  old  warrior  her 
husband,  who  looked  on  as  good-naturedly  as  if  nothing 
was  happening.  This  behaviour,  until  subsequent  dis 
coveries  enlightened  me,  puzzled  me  more  than  anything 
else  I  witnessed  in  Typee. 

As  for  Mehevi,  I  had  supposed  him  a  confirmed  bach 
elor,  as  well  as  most  of  the  principal  chiefs.  At  any  rate, 
if  they  had  wives  and  families,  they  ought  to  have  been 
ashamed  of  themselves ;  for  sure  I  am  they  never  troubled 
themselves  about  any  domestic  affairs.  In  truth,  Mehevi 
seemed  to  be  the  president  of  a  club  of  hearty  fellows 
who  kept  "Bachelor's  Hall"  in  fine  style  at  the  Ti.  I 
had  no  doubt  that  they  regarded  children  as  odious  in- 
cumbrances;  and  their  ideas  of  domestic  felicity  were 
sufficiently  shown  in  the  fact  that  they  allowed  no  med 
dlesome  housekeepers  to  turn  topsy-turvy  those  snug 
little  arrangements  they  had  made  in  their  comfortable 
dwelling.  I  strongly  suspected,  however,  that  some  of 
these  jolly  bachelors  were  carrying  on  love  intrigues  with 
the  maidens  of  the  tribe,  although  they  did  not  appear 
publicly  to  acknowledge  them.  I  happened  to  pop  upon 
Mehevi  three  or  four  times  when  he  was  romping  —  in 
a  most  undignified  manner  for  a  warrior  king  —  with 
one  of  the  prettiest  little  witches  in  the  valley.  She 


256  TYPEE 

lived  with  an  old  woman  and  a  young  man  in  a  house  near 
Marheyo's;  and  although  in  appearance  a  mere  child 
herself,  had  a  noble  boy  about  a  year  old,  who  bore  a 
marvellous  resemblance  to  Mehevi,  whom  I  should  cer 
tainly  have  believed  to  be  the  father,  were  it  not  that  the 
little  fellow  had  no  triangle  on  his  face  —  but  on  second 
thoughts,  tattooing  is  not  hereditary.  Mehevi,  however, 
was  not  the  only  person  upon  whom  the  damsel  Moon- 
oony  smiled  —  the  young  fellow  of  fifteen,  who  perma 
nently  resided  in  the  house  with  her,  was  decidedly  in 
her  good  graces.  I  sometimes  beheld  both  him  and  the 
chief  making  love  at  the  same  time.  Is  it  possible, 
thought  I,  that  the  valiant  warrior  can  consent  to  give 
up  a  corner  in  the  thing  he  loves?  This  too  was  a  mys 
tery  which,  with  others  of  the  same  kind,  was  afterwards 
satisfactorily  explained. 

During  the  second  day  of  the  Feast  of  Calabashes, 
Kory-Kory  —  being  determined  that  I  should  have  some 
understanding  on  these  matters  —  had,  in  the  course  of 
his  explanations,  directed  my  attention  to  a  peculiarity 
I  had  frequently  remarked  among  many  of  the  females 
—  principally  those  of  a  mature  age  and  rather  ma 
tronly  appearance.  This  consisted  in  having  the  right 
hand  and  the  left  foot  most  elaborately  tattooed,  while 
the  rest  of  the  body  was  wholly  free  from  the  operation  of 
the  art,  with  the  exception  of  the  minutely  dotted  lips 
and  slight  marks  on  the  shoulders  to  which  I  have  pre 
viously  referred  as  comprising  the  sole  tattooing  exhib 
ited  by  Fayaway,  in  common  with  other  young  girls  of 
her  age.  The  hand  and  foot  thus  embellished  were, 
according  to  Kory-Kory,  the  distinguishing  badge  of 
wedlock,  so  far  as  that  social  and  highly  commendable 
institution  is  known  among  these  people.  It  answers, 
indeed,  the  same  purpose  as  the  plain  gold  ring  worn  by 
pur  fairer  spouses.. 


NATIVE    CUSTOMS  257 

After  Kory-Kory's  explanation  of  the  subject,  I  was 
for  some  time  studiously  respectful  in  the  presence  of 
all  females  thus  distinguished,  and  never  ventured  to 
indulge  in  the  slightest  approach  to  flirtation  with  any 
of  their  number.  Married  women,  to  be  sure!  — I  knew 
better  than  to  offend  them. 

A  further  insight,  however,  into  the  peculiar  domestic 
customs  of  the  inmates  of  the  valley  did  away  in  a 
measure  with  the  severity  of  my  scruples,  and  convinced 
me  that  I  was  deceived  in  some  at  least  of  my  conclu 
sions.  A  regular  system  of  polygamy  exists  among  the 
islanders;  but  of  a  most  extraordinary  nature  —  a  plu 
rality  of  husbands  instead  of  wives;  and  this  solitary 
fact  speaks  volumes  for  the  gentle  disposition  of  the 
male  population. 

I  was  not  able  to  learn  what  particular  ceremony  was 
observed  in  forming  the  marriage  contract,  but  am  in 
clined  to  think  that  it  must  have  been  of  a  very  simple 
nature.  Perhaps  the  mere  "popping  the  question,"  as 
it  is  termed  with  us,  might  have  been  followed  by  an 
immediate  nuptial  alliance.  At  any  rate,  I  have  more 
than  one  reason  to  believe  that  tedious  courtships  are 
unknown  in  the  valley  of  Typee. 

The  males  considerably  outnumber  the  females.  This 
holds  true  of  many  of  the  islands  of  Polynesia,  although 
the  reverse  of  what  is  the  case  in  most  civilised  coun 
tries.  The  girls  are  first  wooed  and  won,  at  a  very 
tender  age,  by  some  stripling  in  the  household  in  which 
they  reside.  This,  however,  is  a  mere  frolic  of  the 
affections,  and  no  formal  engagement  is  contracted.  By 
the  time  this  first  love  has  a  little  subsided,  a  second 
suitor  presents  himself,  of  graver  years,  and  carries  both 
boy  and  girl  away  to  his  own  habitation.  This  disinter 
ested  and  generous-hearted  fellow  now  weds  the  young 


258  TYPEE 

couple  —  marrying  damsel  and  lover  at  the  same  time  — 
and  all  three  thenceforth  live  together  as  harmoniously 
as  so  many  turtles.  I  have  heard  of  some  men  who  in 
civilised  countries  rashly  marry  large  families  with  their 
wives,  but  had  no  idea  that  there  was  any  place  where 
people  married  supplementary  husbands  with  them.  In 
fidelity  on  either  side  is  very  rare.  No  man  has  more 
than  one  wife,  and  no  wife  of  mature  years  has  less  than 
two  husbands;  sometimes  she  has  three,  but  such  in 
stances  are  not  frequent.  The  marriage  tie,  whatever 
it  may  be,  does  not  appear  to  be  indissoluble,  for  sepa 
rations  occasionally  happen.  These,  however,  when 
they  do  take  place,  produce  no  unhappiness,  and  are 
preceded  by  no  bickerings.  As  nothing  stands  in  the 
way  of  a  separation,  the  matrimonial  yoke  sits  easily  and 
lightly,  and  a  Typee  wife  lives  on  very  pleasant  and 
sociable  terms  with  her  husbands.  On  the  whole,  wed 
lock,  as  known  among  these  Typees,  seems  to  JDC  of  a 
more  distinct  and  enduring  nature  than  is  usually  the 
case  with  barbarous  people.  A  baneful  promiscuous  in 
tercourse  of  the  sexes  is  hereby  avoided,  and  virtue, 
without  being  clamorously  invoked,  is,  as  it  were,  un 
consciously  practised. 

Notwithstanding  the  existence  of  wedlock  among  the 
Typees,  the  Scriptural  injunction  to  increase  and  multi 
ply  seems  to  be  but  indifferently  attended  to.  I  never 
saw  any  of  those  large  families  in  arithmetical  or  step- 
ladder  progression  which  one  often  meets  with  at  home. 
I  never  knew  of  more  than  two  youngsters  living  together 
in  the  same  home,  and  but  seldom  even  that  number. 
As  for  the  women,  it  was  very  plain  that  the  anxieties  of 
the  nursery  but  seldom  disturbed  the  serenity  of  their 
souls,  and  they  were  never  to  be  seen  going  about 
the  valley  with  half  a  score  of  little  ones  tagging  at  their 


NATIVE    CUSTOMS  259 

apron-strings,  or  rather  at  the  bread-fruit-leaf  they 
usually  wore  in  the  rear. 

The  ratio  of  increase  among  all  the  Polynesian  nation 
is  very  small;  and  in  some  places  as  yet  uncorrupted 
by  intercourse  with  Europeans,  the  births  would  appear 
but  very  little  to  outnumber  the  deaths,  the  population 
in  such  instances  remaining  nearly  the  same  for  several 
successive  generations,  even  upon  those  islands  seldom  or 
never  desolated  by  wars.  This  would  seem  expressly 
ordained  by  Providence  to  prevent  the  overstocking  of 
the  islands  with  a  race  too  indolent  to  cultivate  the 
ground,  and  who,  for  that  reason  alone,  would  by  any 
considerable  increase  in  their  numbers  be  exposed  to  the 
most  deplorable  misery.  During  the  entire  period  of  my 
stay  in  the  valley  of  Typee,  I  never  saw  more  than  ten 
or  twelve  children  under  the  age  of  six  months,  and 
only  became  aware  of  two  births. 

I  have  before  had  occasion  to  remark  that  I  never 
saw  any  of  the  ordinary  signs  of  a  place  of  sepulture 
in  the  valley,  a  circumstance  which  I  attributed,  at  the 
time,  to  my  living  in  a  particular  part  of  it  and  being 
forbidden  to  extend  my  rambles  to  any  considerable 
distance  towards  the  sea.  I  have  since  thought  it  prob 
able,  however,  that  the  Typees,  either  desirous  of  re 
moving  from  their  sight  the  evidences  of  mortality,  or 
prompted  by  a  taste  for  rural  beauty,  may  have  some 
charming  cemetery  situated  in  the  shadowy  recesses 
along  the  base  of  the  mountains.  At  Nukuheva,  two  or 
three  large  quadrangular  "pi-pis,"  heavily  flagged,  en 
closed  with  regular  stone  walls  and  shaded  over  and 
almost  hidden  from  view  by  the  interlacing  branches  of 
enormous  trees,  were  pointed  out  to  me  as  burial-places. 
The  bodies,  I  understood,  were  deposited  in  rude  vaults 
beneath  the  flagging,  and  were  suffered  to  remain  there 


26o  TYPEE 

without  being  disinterred.  Although  nothing  could  be 
more  strange  and  gloomy  than  the  aspect  of  these  places, 
where  the  lofty  trees  threw  their  dark  shadows  over 
rude  blocks  of  stone,  a  stranger  in  looking  at  them  would 
have  discerned  none  of  the  ordinary  evidences  of  a  place 
of  sepulture. 

During  my  stay  in  the  valley,  as  none  of  its  inmates 
were  so  accommodating  as  to  die  and  be  buried  in  order 
to  gratify  my  curiosity  with  regard  to  their  funeral  rites, 
I  was  reluctantly  obliged  to  remain  in  ignorance  of 
them.  As  I  have  reason  to  believe,  however,  that  the 
observances  of  the  Typees  in  these  matters  are  the  same 
with  those  of  all  the  other  tribes  on  the  island,  I  will 
here  relate  a  scene  I  chanced  to  witness  at  Nukuheva. 

A  young  man  had  died,  about  daybreak,  in  a  house 
near  the  beach.  I  had  been  sent  ashore  that  morning, 
and  saw  a  good  deal  of  the  preparations  they  were  mak 
ing  for  his  obsequies.  The  body,  neatly  wrapped  in 
new  white  tappa,  was  laid  out  in  an  open  shed  of  cocoa- 
nut  boughs,  upon  a  bier  constructed  of  elastic  bamboos 
ingeniously  twisted  together.  This  was  supported,  about 
two  feet  from  the  ground,  by  large  canes  planted  upright 
in  the  earth.  Two  females,  of  a  dejected  appearance, 
watched  by  its  side,  plaintively  chanting  and  beating 
the  air  with  large  grass  fans  whitened  with  pipe-clay. 
In  the  dwelling-house  adjoining  a  numerous  company 
were  assembled,  and  various  articles  of  food  were  being 
prepared  for  consumption.  Two  or  three  individuals, 
distinguished  by  head-dresses  of  beautiful  tappa  and 
wearing  a  great  number  of  ornaments,  appeared  to  offi 
ciate  as  masters  of  the  ceremonies.  By  noon  the  enter 
tainment  had  fairly  begun,  and  we  were  told  that  it 
would  last  during  the  whole  of  the  two  following  days. 
With  the  exception  of  those  who  mourned  by  the  corpse, 


NATIVE    CUSTOMS  261 

every  one  seemed  disposed  to  drown  the  sense  of  the  late 
bereavement  in  convivial  indulgence.  The  girls,  decked 
out  in  their  savage  finery,  danced;  the  old  men  chanted; 
the  warriors  smoked  and  chatted;  and  the  young  and 
lusty,  of  both  sexes,  feasted  plentifully  and  seemed  to 
enjoy  themselves  as  pleasantly  as  they  could  have  done 
had  it  been  a  wedding. 

The  islanders  understand  the  art  of  embalming,  and 
practise  it  with  such  success  that  the  bodies  of  their 
great  chiefs  are  frequently  preserved  for  many  years  in 
the  very  houses  where  they  died.  I  saw  three  of  these 
in  my  visit  to  the  Bay  of  Tior.  One  was  enveloped  in 
immense  folds  of  tappa,  with  only  the  face  exposed, 
and  hung  erect  against  the  side  of  the  dwelling.  The 
others  were  stretched  out  upon  biers  of  bamboo,  in  open, 
elevated  temples,  which  seemed  consecrated  to  their 
memory.  The  heads  of  enemies  killed  in  battle  are  in 
variably  preserved  and  hung  up  as  trophies  in  the  house 
of  the  conqueror.  I  am  not  acquainted  with  the  process 
which  is  in  use,  but  believe  that  fumigation  is  the  prin 
cipal  agency  employed.  All  the  remains  which  I  saw 
presented  the  appearance  of  a  ham  after  being  suspended 
for  some  time  in  a  smoky  chimney.  v 

But  to  return  from  the  dead  to  the  living.  The  late 
festival  had  drawn  together,  as  I  had  every  reason  to 
believe,  the  whole  population  of  the  vale,  and  conse 
quently  I  was  enabled  to  make  some  estimate  with 
regard  to  its  numbers.  I  should  imagine  that  there  were 
about  two  thousand  inhabitants  in  Typee;  and  no  num 
ber  could  have  been  better  adapted  to  the  extent  of 
the  valley.  The  valley  is  some  nine  miles  in  length, 
and  may  average  one  in  breadth,  the  houses  being  dis 
tributed  at  wide  intervals  throughout  its  whole  extent, 
principally,  however,  towards  the  head  of  the  vale.  There 


262  TYPEE 

are  no  villages:  the  houses  stand  here  and  there  in  the 
shadow  of  the  groves,  or  are  scattered  along  the  banks 
of  the  winding  stream,  their  golden-hued  bamboo  sides 
and  gleaming  white  thatch  forming  a  beautiful  contrast 
to  the  perpetual  verdure  in  which  they  are  embowered. 
There  are  no  roads  of  any  kind  in  the  valley  —  nothing 
but  a  labyrinth  of  foot-paths  twisting  and  turning  among 
the  thickets  without  end. 

The  penalty  of  the  Fall  presses  very  lightly  upon  the 
valley  of  Typee;  for,  with  the  one  solitary  exception  of 
striking  a  light,  I  scarcely  saw  any  piece  of  work  per 
formed  there  which  caused  the  sweat  to  stand  upon  a 
single  brow.  As  for  digging  and  delving  for  a  livelihood, 
the  thing  is  altogether  unknown.  Nature  had  planted 
the  breadfruit  and  the  banana,  and  in  her  own  good 
time  she  brings  them  to  maturity,  when  the  idle  savage 
stretches  forth  his  hand  and  satisfies  his  appetite. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
KINDLINESS  OF  THE   CANNIBALS 

I  HAVE  already  mentioned  that  the  influence  exerted 
over  the  people  of  the  valley  by  their  chiefs  was  mild  in 
the  extreme:  and  as  to  any  general  rule  or  standard  of 
conduct  by  which  the  commonalty  were  governed  in  their 
intercourse  with  each  other,  so  far  as  my  observation  ex 
tended,  I  should  be  almost  tempted  to  say  that  none 
existed  on  the  island,  except,  indeed,  the  mysterious 
"taboo"  be  considered  as  such.  During  the  time  I 
lived  among  the  Typees,  no  one  was  ever  put  upon  his 
trial  for  any  offence  against  the  public.  To  all  appear 
ances  there  were  no  courts  of  law  or  equity.  There 
were  no  municipal  police  for  the  purpose  of  apprehend 
ing  vagrants  and  disorderly  characters.  In  short,  there 
were  no  legal  provisions  whatever  for  the  well-being 
and  conservation  of  society,  the  enlightened  end  of  civi 
lised  legislation.  And  yet  everything  went  on  in  the  val 
ley  with  a  harmony  and  smoothness  unparalleled,  I 
will  venture  to  assert,  in  the  most  select,  refined,  and 
pious  associations  of  mortals  in  Christendom.  How  are 
we  to  explain  this  enigma?  These  islanders  were 
heathens!  savages!  ay,  cannibals!  and  how  came  they, 
without  the  aid  of  established  law,  to  exhibit,  in  so  emi 
nent  a  degree,  that  social  order  which  is  the  greatest 
blessing  and  highest  pride  of  the  social  state? 

In  the  darkest  nights  they  slept  securely,  with  all  their 
worldly  wealth  around  them,  in  houses  the  doors  of 

263 


264  TYPEE 

which  were  never  fastened.  The  disquieting  ideas  of 
theft  or  assassination  never  disturbed  them.  Each 
islander  reposed  beneath  his  own  palmetto  thatching,  or 
sat  under  his  own  bread-fruit  tree,  with  none  to  molest 
or  alarm  him.  There  was  not  a  padlock  in  the  valley, 
nor  anything  that  answered  the  purpose  of  one;  still 
there  was  no  community  of  goods.  This  long  spear,  so 
elegantly  carved  and  highly  polished,  belongs  to  Wor- 
moonoo;  it  is  far  handsomer  than  the  one  which  old 
Marheyo  so  greatly  prizes;  it  is  the  most  valuable  article 
belonging  to  its  owner.  And  yet  I  have  seen  it  leaning 
against  a  cocoa-nut  tree  in  the  grove,  and  there  it  was 
found  when  sought  for.  Here  is  a  sperm-whale  tooth, 
graven  all  over  with  cunning  devices:  it  is  the  property 
of  Karluna;  it  is  the  most  precious  of  the  damsel's 
ornaments.  In  her  estimation  its  price  is  far  above  rubies 
—  and  yet  there  hangs  the  dental  jewel  by  its  cord  of 
braided  bark,  in  the  girl's  house,  which  is  far  back  in 
the  valley ;  the  door  is  left  open,  and  all  the  inmates  have 
gone  off  to  bathe  in  the  stream.1 

So  much  for  the  respect  in  which  "personal  property" 
is  held  in  Typee;  how  secure  an  investment  of  "real 
property"  may  be  I  cannot  take  upon  me  to  say. 

1  The  strict  honesty  which  the  inhabitants  of  nearly  all  the 
Polynesian  Islands  manifest  towards  each  other  is  in  striking  con 
trast  with  the  thieving  propensities  some  of  them  evince  in  their 
intercourse  with  foreigners.  It  would  almost  seem  that,  accord 
ing  to  their  peculiar  code  of  morals,  the  pilfering  of  a  hatchet 
or  a  wrought  nail  from  a  European  is  looked  upon  as  a  praise 
worthy  action.  Or  rather,  it  may  be  presumed  that,  bearing  in 
mind  the  wholesale  forays  made  upon  them  by  their  nautical 
visitors,  they  consider  the  property  of  the  latter  as  a  fair  object 
of  reprisal.  This  consideration,  while  it  serves  to  reconcile  an  ap 
parent  contradiction  in  the  moral  character  of  the  islanders, 
should  in  some  measure  alter  that  low  opinion  of  it  which  the 
reader  of  South  Sea  voyages  is  too  apt  to  form — [Melville's  note]. 


KINDLINESS    OF    THE    CANNIBALS      265 

Whether  the  land  of  the  valley  was  the  joint  property 
of  its  inhabitants,  or  whether  it  was  parcelled  out  among 
a  certain  number  of  landed  proprietors  who  allowed 
everybody  to  "squat"  and  "poach"  as  much  as  he  pleased, 
I  never  could  ascertain.  At  any  rate,  musty  parchments 
and  title  deeds  there  were  none  on  the  island;  and  I  am 
half  inclined  to  believe  that  its  inhabitants  hold  their 
broad  valleys  in  fee  simple  from  Nature  herself;  to  have 
and  to  hold,  so  long  as  grass  grows  and  water  runs,  or 
until  their  French  visitors,  by  a  summary  mode  of  con 
veyancing,  shall  appropriate  them  to  their  own  benefit 
and  behoof. 

Yesterday  I  saw  Kory-Kory  hie  him  away,  armed 
with  a  long  pole,  with  which,  standing  on  the  ground, 
he  knocked  down  the  fruit  from  the  topmost  boughs  of 
the  trees,  and  brought  them  home  in  his  basket  of 
cocoa-nut  leaves.  To-day  I  see  an  islander,  whom  I 
know  to  reside  in  a  distant  part  of  the  valley,  doing  the 
self-same  thing.  On  the  sloping  bank  of  the  stream  are 
a  number  of  banana-trees.  I  have  often  seen  a  score  or 
two  of  young  people  making  a  merry  foray  on  the  great 
golden  clusters,  and  bearing  them  off,  one  after  another, 
to  different  parts  of  the  vale,  shouting  and  tramping  as 
they  went.  No  churlish  old  curmudgeon  could  have 
been  the  owner  of  that  grove  of  bread-fruit  trees,  or  of 
these  gloriously  yellow  bunches  of  bananas. 

From  what  I  have  said  it  will  be  perceived  that  there 
is  a  vast  difference  between  "personal  property"  and 
"real  estate"  in  the  valley  of  Typee.  Some  individuals, 
of  course,  are  more  wealthy  than  others.  For  example: 
the  ridge-pole  of  Marheyo's  house  bends  under  the 
weight  of  many  a  huge  package  of  tappa;  his  long  couch 
is  laid  with  mats  placed  one  upon  the  other  seven  deep. 
Outside,  Tinor  has  ranged  along  in  her  bamboo  cupboard 


266  TYPEE 

—  or  whatever  the  place  may  be  called  —  a  goodly  array 
of  calabashes  and  wooden  trenchers.     Now,  the  house 
just  beyond  the  grove,  and  next  to  Marheyo's,  occupied 
by  Ruaruga,  is  not  quite  so  well  furnished.     There  are 
only  three  moderate-sized  packages  swinging  overhead: 
there  are  only  two  layers  of  mats  beneath,  and  the  cala 
bashes  and  trenches  are  not  so  numerous,  nor  so  taste 
fully  stained  and  carved.    But  then,  Ruaruga  has  a  house 

—  not  so  pretty  a  one,  to  be  sure  —  but  just  as  commo 
dious  as  Marheyo's;  and,  I  suppose,  if  he  wished  to  vie 
with  his  neighbour's  establishment,  he  could  do  so  with 
very  little  trouble.    These,  in  short,  constituted  the  chief 
differences  perceivable  in  the  relative  wealth  of  the  people 
in  Typee. 

Civilisation  does  not  engross  all  the  virtues  of  hu 
manity:  she  has  not  even  her  full  share  of  them.  They 
flourish  in  greater  abundance  and  attain  greater  strength 
among  many  barbarous  people.  The  hospitality  of  the 
wild  Arab,  the  courage  of  the  North  American  Indian, 
and  the  faithful  friendships  of  some  of  the  Polynesian 
nations  far  surpass  anything  of  a  similar  kind  among 
the  polished  communities  of  Europe.  If  truth  and  jus 
tice,  and  the  better  principles  of  our  nature,  cannot 
exist  unless  enforced  by  the  statute-book,  how  are  we 
to  account  for  the  social  condition  of  the  Typees?  So 
pure  and  upright  were  they  in  all  the  relations  of  life 
that  entering  their  valley,  as  I  did,  under  the  most 
erroneous  impressions  of  their  character,  I  was  soon  led 
to  exclaim  in  amazement:  "Are  these  the  ferocious  sav 
ages,  the  blood-thirsty  cannibals  of  whom  I  have  heard 
such  frightful  tales!  They  deal  more  kindly  with  each 
other,  and  are  more  humane,  than  many  who  study 
essays  on  virtue  and  benevolence,  and  who  repeat  every 
night  that  beautiful  prayer  breathed  first  by  the  lips  of 


KINDLINESS    OF    THE    CANNIBALS      267 

the  divine  and  gentle  Jesus."  I  will  frankly  declare 
that  after  passing  a  few  weeks  in  this  valley  of  the  Mar 
quesas,  I  formed  a  higher  estimate  of  human  nature 
than  I  had  ever  before  entertained.  But  alas!  since  then 
I  have  been  one  of  the  crew  of  a  man-of-war,  and  the 
pent-up  wickedness  of  five  hundred  men  has  nearly 
overturned  all  my  previous  theories. 

There  was  one  admirable  trait  in  the  general  charac 
ter  of  the  Typees  which,  more  than  any  thing  else,  se 
cured  my  admiration:  it  was  the  unanimity  of  feeling 
they  displayed  on  every  occasion.  With  them  there 
hardly  appeared  to  be  any  difference  of  opinion  upon 
any  subject  whatever.  They  all  thought  and  acted 
alike.  I  do  not  conceive  that  they  could  support  a 
debating  society  for  a  single  night;  there  would  be  noth 
ing  to  dispute  about;  and  were  they  to  call  a  convention 
to  take  into  consideration  the  state  of  the  tribe,  its  ses 
sion  would  be  a  remarkably  short  one.  They  showed 
this  spirit  of  unanimity  in  every  action  of  life:  every 
thing  was  done  in  concert  and  good  fellowship.  I  will 
give  an  instance  of  this  fraternal  feeling. 

One  day,  in  returning  with  Kory-Kory  from  my  ac 
customed  visit  to  the  Ti,  we  passed  by  a  little  opening 
in  the  grove,  on  one  side  of  which,  my  attendant  in 
formed  me,  was  that  afternoon  to  be  built  a  dwelling  of 
bamboo.  At  least  a  hundred  of  the  natives  were  bring 
ing  materials  to  the  ground,  some  carrying  in  their 
hands  one  or  two  of  the  canes  which  were  to  form  the 
sides,  others  slender  rods  of  the  hibiscus,  strung  with 
palmetto  leaves,  for  the  roof.  Every  one  contributed 
something  to  the  work;  and  by  the  united,  but  easy, 
and  even  indolent,  labors  of  all,  the  entire  work  was 
completed  before  sunset.  The  islanders,  while  em 
ployed  in  erecting  this  tenement,  reminded  me  of  a 


268  TYPEE 

colony  of  beavers  at  work.  To  be  sure,  they  were 
hardly  as  silent  and  demure  as  those  wonderful  crea 
tures,  nor  were  they  by  any  means  as  diligent.  To  tell 
the  truth,  they  were  somewhat  inclined  to  be  lazy,  but 
a  perfect  tumult  of  hilarity  prevailed;  and  they  worked 
together  so  unitedly,  and  seemed  actuated  by  such  an 
instinct  of  friendliness,  that  it  was  truly  beautiful  to 
behold. 

Not  a  single  female  took  part  in  this  employment; 
and  if  the  degree  of  consideration  in  which  the  ever- 
adorable  sex  is  held  by  the  men  be  —  as  the  philoso 
phers  affirm  —  a  just  criterion  of  the  degree  of  refine 
ment  among  a  people,  then  I  may  truly  pronounce  the 
Typees  to  be  as  polished  a  community  as  ever  the  sun 
shone  upon.  The  religious  restrictions  of  the  taboo 
alone  excepted,  the  women  of  the  valley  were  allowed 
every  possible  indulgence.  Nowhere  are  the  ladies  more 
assiduously  courted;  nowhere  are  they  better  appreciated 
as  the  contributors  to  our  highest  enjoyments;  and  no 
where  are  they  more  sensible  of  their  power.  Far  differ 
ent  from  their  condition  among  many  rude  nations,  where 
the  women  are  made  to  perform  all  the  work  while  their 
ungallant  lords  and  masters  lie  buried  in  sloth,  the 
gentle  sex  in  the  valley  of  Typee  were  exempt  from  toil, 
if  toil  it  might  be  called  that,  even  in  that  tropical  cli 
mate,  never  distilled  one  drop  of  perspiration.  Their 
light  household  occupations,  together  with  the  manufac 
ture  of  tappa,  the  platting  of  mats,  and  the  polishing  of 
drinking-vessels,  were  the  only  employments  pertaining 
to  the  women.  And  even  these  resembled  those  pleasant 
avocations  which  fill  up  the  elegant  morning  leisure  of 
our  fashionable  ladies  at  home.  But  in  these  occupa 
tions,  slight  and  agreeable  though  they  were,  the  giddy 
young  girls  very  seldom  engaged.  Indeed  these  wilful, 


KINDLINESS    OF    THE    CANNIBALS      269 

care-killing  damsels  were  averse  to  all  useful  employment. 
Like  so  many  spoiled  beauties,  they  ranged  through  the 
grove3  —  bathed  in  the  stream  —  danced  —  flirted  — 
played  all  manner  of  mischievous  pranks,  and  passed 
their  days  in  one  merry  round  of  thoughtless  happiness. 

During  my  whole  stay  on  the  island  I  never  witnessed 
a  single  quarrel,  nor  anything  that  in  the  slightest  de 
gree  approached  even  to  a  dispute.  The  natives  appeared 
to  form  one  household,  whose  members  were  bound  to 
gether  by  the  ties  of  strong  affection.  The  love  of  kin 
dred  I  did  not  so  much  perceive,  for  it  seemed  blended 
in  the  general  love ;  and  where  all  were  treated  as  brothers 
and  sisters,  it  was  hard  to  tell  who  were  actually  related 
to  each  other  by  blood. 

Let  it  not  be  supposed  that  I  have  overdrawn  this 
picture.  I  have  not  done  so.  Nor  let  it  be  urged  that 
the  hostility  of  this  tribe  to  foreigners,  and  the  hereditary 
feuds  they  carry  on  against  their  fellow-islanders  beyond 
the  mountains,  are  facts  which  contradict  me.  Not  so: 
these  apparent  discrepancies  are  easily  reconciled.  By 
many  a  legendary  tale  of  violence  and  wrong,  as  well  as 
by  events  which  have  passed  before  their  eyes,  these 
people  have  been  taught  to  look  upon  white  men  with  ab 
horrence.  The  cruel  invasion  of  their  country  by  Porter 
has  alone  furnished  them  with  ample  provocation;  and  I 
can  sympathise  in  the  spirit  which  prompts  the  Typee 
warrior  to  guard  all  the  passes  to  his  valley  with  the 
point  of  his  levelled  spear,  and,  standing  upon  the  beach, 
with  his  back  turned  upon  his  green  home,  to  hold  at 
bay  the  intruding  European. 

As  to  the  origin  of  the  enmity  of  this  particular  clan 
towards  the  neighbouring  tribes,  I  cannot  so  confidently 
speak.  I  will  not  say  that  their  foes  are  the  aggressors, 
nor  will  I  endeavour  to  palliate  their  conduct.  But 


2  76  TYPEE 

surely,  if  our  evil  passions  must  find  vent,  it  is  far  better 
to  expend  them  on  strangers  and  aliens  than  in  the 
bosom  of  the  community  in  which  we  dwell.  In  many 
polished  countries  civil  contentions,  as  well  as  domestic 
enmities,  are  prevalent,  at  the  same  time  that  the  most 
atrocious  foreign  wars  are  waged.  How  much  less  guilty, 
then,  are  our  islanders,  who  of  these  three  sins  are  only 
chargeable  with  one,  and  that  the  least  criminal! 

The  reader  will  ere  long  have  reason  to  suspect  that 
the  Typees  are  not  free  from  the  guilt  of  cannibalism, 
and  he  will  then,  perhaps,  charge  me  with  admiring  a 
people  against  whom  so  odious  a  crime  is  chargeable. 
But  this  only  enormity  in  their  character  is  not  half  so 
horrible  as  it  is  usually  described.  According  to  the 
popular  fictions,  the  crews  of  vessels,  shipwrecked  on 
some  barbarous  coast,  are  eaten  alive  like  so  many 
dainty  joints  by  the  uncivil  inhabitants;  and  unfortunate 
voyagers  are  lured  into  smiling  and  treacherous  bays, 
knocked  in  the  head  with  outlandish  war-clubs,  and 
served  up  without  any  preliminary  dressing.  In  truth, 
so  horrific  and  improbable  are  these  accounts  that  many 
sensible  and  well-informed  people  will  not  believe  that 
any  cannibals  exist,  and  place  every  book  of  voyages 
which  purports  to  give  any  account  of  them  on  the  same 
shelf  with  Blue  Beard  and  Jack  the  Giant-Killer;  while 
others,  implicitly  crediting  the  most  extravagant  fictions, 
firmly  believe  that  there  are  people  in  the  world  with 
tastes  so  depraved  that  they  would  infinitely  prefer  a 
single  mouthful  of  material  humanity  to  a  good  dinner 
of  roast  beef  and  plum  pudding.  But  here  Truth,  who 
loves  to  be  centrally  located,  is  again  found  between 
the  two  extremes;  for  cannibalism  to  a  certain  moderate 
extent  is  practised  among  several  of  the  primitive  tribes 


KINDLINESS    OF    THE    CANNIBALS      271 

in  the  Pacific,  but  it  is  upon  the  bodies  of  slain  enemies 
alone;  and  horrible  and  fearful  as  the  custom  is,  im 
measurably  as  it  is  to  be  abhorred  and  condemned,  still 
I  assert  that  those  who  indulge  in  it  are  in  other  respects 
humane  and  virtuous. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 
FISHING 

THERE  was  no  instance  in  which  the  social  and  kindly 
dispositions  of  the  Typees  were  more  forcibly  evinced 
than  in  the  manner  they  conducted  their  great  fishing 
parties.  Four  times  during  my  stay  in  the  valley  the 
young  men  assembled  near  the  full  of  the  moon  and 
went  together  on  these  excursions.  As  they  were  gen 
erally  absent  about  forty-eight  hours,  I  was  led  to  believe 
that  they  went  out  towards  the  open  sea,  some  distance 
from  the  bay.  The  Polynesians  seldom  use  a  hook  and 
line,  almost  always  employing  large  well-made  nets,  most 
ingeniously  fabricated  from  the  twisted  fibres  of  a  cer 
tain  bark.  I  examined  several  of  them  which  had  been 
spread  to  dry  upon  the  beach  at  Nukuheva.  They  re 
semble  very  much  our  own  seines,  and  I  should  think 
were  very  nearly  as  durable. 

All  the  South  Sea  Islanders  are  passionately  fond  of 
fish;  but  none  of  them  can  be  more  so  than  the  inhabi 
tants  of  Typee.  I  could  not  comprehend,  therefore,  why 
they  so  seldom  sought  it  in  their  waters,  for  it  was  only 
at  stated  times  that  the  fishing  parties  were  formed,  and 
these  occasions  were  always  looked  forward  to  with  no 
small  degree  of  interest. 

During  their  absence  the  whole  population  of  the 
place  were  in  a  ferment,  and  nothing  was  talked  of  but 
"pehee,  peehee"  (fish,  fish).  Towards  the  time  when 
they  were  expected  to  return  the  vocal  telegraph  was 

272 


FISHING  273 

put  into  operation  —  the  inhabitants,  who  were  scat 
tered  throughout  the  length  of  the  valley,  leaped  upon 
rocks  and  into  trees,  shouting  with  delight  at  the  thoughts 
of  the  anticipated  treat.  As  soon  as  the  approach  of 
the  party  was  announced,  there  was  a  general  rush  of 
the  men  towards  the  beach,  some  of  them  remaining, 
however,  about  the  Ti,  in  order  to  get  matters  in  readi 
ness  for  the  reception  of  the  fish,  which  were  brought 
to  the  Taboo  groves  in  immense  packages  of  leaves,  each 
one  of  them  being  suspended  from  a  pole  carried  on  the 
shoulders  of  two  men. 

I  was  present  at  the  Ti  on  one  of  these  occasions,  and 
the  sight  was  most  interesting.  After  all  the  packages 
had  arrived,  they  were  laid  in  a  row  under  the  verandah 
of  the  building  and  opened.  The  fish  were  all  quite 
small,  generally  about  the  size  of  a  herring,  and  of  every 
variety  of  colour.  About  one-eighth  of  the  whole  being 
reserved  for  the  use  of  the  Ti  itself,  the  remainder  was 
divided  into  numerous  smaller  packages,  which  were 
immediately  dispatched  in  every  direction  to  the  remotest 
parts  of  the  valley.  Arrived  at  their  destination,  these 
were  in  turn  portioned  out,  and  equally  distributed 
among  the  various  houses  of  each  particular  district. 
The  fish  were  under  a  strict  Taboo  until  the  distribution 
was  completed,  which  seemed  to  be  effected  in  the  most 
impartial  manner.  By  the  operation  of  this  system 
every  man,  woman,  and  child  in  the  vale  were  at  one 
and  the  same  time  partaking  of  this  favourite  article 
of  food. 

Once  I  remember  the  party  arrived  at  midnight;  but 
the  unseasonableness  of  the  hour  did  not  repress  the 
impatience  of  the  islanders.  The  carriers  dispatched 
from  the  Ti  were  to  be  seen  hurrying  in  all  directions 
through  the  deep  groves,  each  individual  preceded  by 


274  TYPEE 

a  boy  bearing  a  flaming  torch  of  dried  cocoa-nut  boughs, 
which  from  time  to  time  was  replenished  from  the  ma 
terials  scattered  along  the  path.  The  wild  glare  of  these 
enormous  flambeaux,  lighting  up  with  startling  brilliancy 
the  innermost  recesses  of  the  vale  and  seen  moving  rap 
idly  along  beneath  the  canopy  of  leaves,  the  savage  shout 
of  the  excited  messengers  sounding  the  news  of  their 
approach,  which  was  answered  on  all  sides,  and  the 
strange  appearance  of  their  naked  bodies,  seen  against 
the  gloomy  background,  produced  altogether  an  effect 
upon  my  mind  that  I  shall  long  remember. 

It  was  on  this  occasion  that  Kory-Kory  awakened 
me  at  the  dead  hour  of  night,  and  in  a  sort  of  transport 
communicated  the  intelligence  contained  in  the  words 
"pehee  pemi"  (fish  come).  As  I  happened  to  have  been 
in  a  remarkably  sound  and  refreshing  slumber,  I  could 
not  imagine  why  the  information  had  not  been  deferred 
until  morning;  indeed,  I  felt  very  much  inclined  to  fly 
into  a  passion  and  box  my  valet's  ears;  but  on  second 
thoughts  I  got  quietly  up,  and  on  going  outside  the 
house  was  not  a  little  interested  by  the  moving  illumina 
tion  which  I  beheld. 

When  old  Marheyo  received  his  share  of  the  spoils, 
immediate  preparations  were  made  for  a  midnight  ban- 
.quet;  calabashes  of  poee-poee  were  filled  to  the  brim; 
green  bread-fruit  was  roasted;  and  a  huge  cake  of 
"amar"  was  cut  up  with  a  sliver  of  bamboo  and  laid 
out  on  an  immense  banana-leaf. 

At  this  supper  we  were,  lighted  by  several  of  the 
native  tapers,  held  in  the  hands  of  young  girls.  These 
tapers  are  most  ingeniously  made.  There  is  a  nut  abound 
ing  in  the  valley,  called  by  the  Typees  "armor,"  closely 
resembling  our  common  horse-chestnut.  The  shell  is 
broken,  and  the  contents  extracted  whole.  Any  number 


FISHING  275 

of  these  are  strung  at  pleasure  upon  the  long  elastic  fibre 
that  traverses  the  branches  of  the  cocoa-nut  tree.  Some 
of  these  tapers  are  eight  and  ten  feet  in  length;  but 
being  perfectly  flexible,  one  end  is  held  in  a  coil,  while 
the  other  is  lighted.  The  nut  burns  with  a  fitful  bluish 
flame,  and  the  oil  that  it  contains  is  exhausted  in  about 
ten  minutes.  As  one  burns  down,  the  next  becomes  ig 
nited,  and  the  ashes  of  the  former  are  knocked  into  a 
cocoa-nut  shell  kept  for  the  purpose.  This  primitive 
candle  requires  continual  attention,  and  must  be  con 
stantly  held  in  the  hand.  The  person  so  employed  marks 
the  lapse  of  time  by  the  number  of  nuts  consumed,  which 
is  easily  learned  by  counting  the  bits  of  tappa  distributed 
at  regular  intervals  along  the  string. 

I  grieve  to  state  so  distressing  a  fact,  but  the  inhabi 
tants  of  Typee  were  in  the  habit  of  devouring  fish  much 
in  the  same  way  that  a  civilized  being  would  eat  a  radish, 
and  without  any  more  previous  preparation.  They  eat  it 
raw  —  scales,  bones,  gills,  and  all  the  inside.  The  fish 
is  held  by  the  tail,  and  the  head  being  introduced  into 
the  mouth,  the  animal  disappears  with  a  rapidity  that 
would  at  first  nearly  lead  one  to  imagine  it  had  been 
launched  bodily  down  the  throat. 

Raw  fish!  Shall  I  ever  forget  my  sensations  when  I 
first  saw  my  island  beauty  devour  one?  Oh  heavens! 
Fayaway,  how  could  you  ever  have  contracted  so  vile  a 
habit?  However,  after  the  first  shock  had  subsided, 
the  custom  grew  less  odious  in  my  eyes,  and  I  soon 
accustomed  myself  to  the  sight.  Let  no  one  imagine, 
however,  that  the  lovely  Fayaway  was  in  the  habit  of 
swallowing  great  vulgar-looking  fishes;  oh,  no;  with  her 
beautiful  small  hand  she  would  clasp  a  delicate,  little, 
golden-hued  love  of  a  fish,  and  eat  it  as  elegantly  and  as 
innocently  as  though  it  were  Naples  biscuit.  But,  alas! 


276  TYPEE 

it  was  a  raw  fish;  and  all  I  can  say  is  that  Fayaway  ate 
it  in  a  more  ladylike  manner  than  any  other  girl  of  the 
valley. 

When  at  Rome  do  as  the  Romans  do  I  held  to  be  so 
good  a  proverb  that  being  in  Typee  I  made  a  point  of 
doing  as  the  Typees  did.  Thus  I  ate  poee-poee  as  they 
did;  I  walked  about  in  a  garb  striking  for  its  simplicity; 
and  I  reposed  on  a  community  of  couches,  besides  doing 
many  other  things  in  conformity  with  their  peculiar 
habits;  but  the  farthest  I  ever  went  in  the  way  of  con 
formity,  was  on  several  occasions  to  regale  myself  with 
raw  fish.  These  being  remarkably  tender,  and  quite 
small,  the  undertaking  was  not  so  disagreeable  in  the 
main,  and  after  a  few  trials  I  positively  began  to  relish 
them:  however,  I  subjected  them  to  a  slight  operation 
with  my  knife  previously  to  making  my  repast. 


CHAPTER   XXIX 
NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    VALLEY 

I  THINK  I  must  enlighten  the  reader  a  little  about  the 
natural  history  of  the  valley. 

Whence,  in  the  name  of  Count  Buffon  and  Baron 
Cuvier,  came  those  dogs  that  I  saw  in  Typee?  Dogs! 
—  Big  hairless  rats  rather,  all  with  smooth,  shining 
speckled  hides,  fat  sides,  and  very  disagreeable  faces. 
Whence  could  they  have  come?  That  they  were  not 
the  indigenous  production  of  the  region,  I  am  firmly 
convinced.  Indeed,  they  seemed  aware  of  their  being 
interlopers,  looking  fairly  ashamed  and  always  trying 
to  hide  themselves  in  some  dark  corner.  It  was  plain 
enough  they  did  not  feel  at  home  in  the  vale  —  that 
they  wished  themselves  well  out  of  it,  and  back  to  the 
ugly  country  from  which  they  must  have  come. 

Scurvy  curs!  they  were  my  abhorrence;  I  should  have 
liked  nothing  better  than  to  have  been  the  death  of 
every  one  of  them.  In  fact,  on  one  occasion  I  inti 
mated  the  propriety  of  a  canine  crusade  to  Mehevi;  but 
the  benevolent  king  would  not  consent  to  it.  He  heard 
me  very  patiently,  but  when  I  had  finished,  shook  his 
head  and  told  me,  in  confidence,  that  they  were  "taboo." 

As  for  the  animal  that  made  the  fortune  of  the  ex- 
lord-mayor  Whittington:  I  shall  never  forget  the  day 
that  I  was  lying  in  the  house  about  noon,  everybody  else 
being  fast  asleep,  and  happening  to  raise  my  eyes,  met 
those  of  a  big  black  spectral  cat,  which  sat  erect  in  the 

277 


278  TYPEE 

doorway,  looking  at  me  with  its  frightful  goggling 
green  orbs,  like  one  of  those  monstrous  imps  that  tor 
ment  some  of  Teniers'  saints!  I  am  one  of  those  un 
fortunate  persons  to  whom  the  sight  of  these  animals  is 
at  any  time  an  insufferable  annoyance. 

Thus  constitutionally  averse  to  cats  in  general,  the 
unexpected  apparition  of  this  one  in  particular  utterly 
confounded  me.  When  I  had  a  little  recovered  from 
the  fascination  of  its  glance,  I  started  up;  the  cat  fled, 
and  emboldened  by  this,  I  rushed  out  of  the  house  in 
pursuit;  but  it  had  disappeared.  It  was  the  only  time  I 
ever  saw  one  in  the  valley,  and  how  it  got  there  I  cannot 
imagine.  It  is  just  possible  that  it  might  have  escaped 
from  one  of  the  ships  at  Nukuheva.  It  was  in  vain  to 
seek  information  on  the  subject  from  the  natives,  since 
none  of  them  had  seen  the  animal,  the  appearance  of 
which  remains  a  mystery  to  me  to  this  day. 

Among  the  few  animals  which  are  to  be  met  with  in 
Typee,  there  were  none  which  I  looked  upon  with  more 
interest  than  a  beautiful  golden-hued  species  of  lizard. 
It  measured  perhaps  five  inches  from  head  to  tail,  and 
was  most  gracefully  proportioned.  Numbers  of  these 
creatures  were  to  be  seen  basking  in  the  sunshine  upon 
the  thatching  of  the  houses,  and  multitudes  at  all  hours 
of  the  day  showed  their  glittering  sides  as  they  ran 
frolicking  between  the  spears  of  grass  or  raced  in  troops 
up  and  down  the  tall  shafts  of  the  cocoa-nut  trees.  But 
the  remarkable  beauty  of  these  little  animals  and  their 
lively  ways  were  not  their  only  claims  upon  my  admira 
tion.  They  were  perfectly  tame  and  insensible  to  fear. 
Frequently,  after  seating  myself  upon  the  ground  in 
some  shady  place  during  the  heat  of  the  day,  I  would 
be  completely  overrun  with  them.  If  I  brushed  one 
off  my  arm;  it  would  leap  perhaps  into  my  hair;  when  I 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    VALLEY     279 

tried  to  frighten  it  away  by  gently  pinching  its  leg,  it 
would  turn  for  protection  to  the  very  hand  that  at 
tacked  it. 

The  birds  are  also  remarkably  tame.  If  you  hap 
pened  to  see  one  perched  upon  a  branch  within  reach  of 
your  arm  and  advanced  towards  it,  it  did  not  fly  away 
immediately,  but  waited  quietly  looking  at  you,  until 
you  could  almost  touch  it,  and  then  took  wing  slowly, 
less  alarmed  at  your  presence,  it  would  seem,  tiian  desir 
ous  of  removing  itself  from  your  path.  Had  salt  been 
less  scarce  in  the  valley  than  it  was,  this  was  the  very 
place  to  have  gone  birding  with  it. 

I  remember  that  once,  on  an  uninhabited  island  of  the 
Gallipagos,  a  bird  alighted  on  my  outstretched  arm, 
while  its  mate  chirped  from  an  adjoining  tree.  Its 
tameness,  far  from  shocking  me,  as  a  similar  occurrence 
did  Selkirk,  imparted  to  me  the  most  exquisite  thrill  of 
delight  I  ever  experienced;  and  with  somewhat  of  the 
same  pleasure  did  I  afterwards  behold  the  birds  and 
lizards  of  the  valley  show  their  confidence  in  the  kind 
liness  of  man. 

Among  the  numerous  afflictions  which  the  Europeans 
have  entailed  upon  some  of  the  natives  of  the  South 
Seas  is  the  accidental  introduction  among  them  of  that 
enemy  of  all  repose  and  ruffler  of  even  tempers  —  the 
mosquito.  At  the  Sandwich  Islands  and  at  two  or  three 
of  the  Society  group  there  are  now  thriving  colonies  of 
these  insects,  who  promise  ere  long  to  supplant  alto 
gether  the  aboriginal  sand-flies.  They  sting,  buzz,  and 
torment  from  one  end  of  the  year  to  the  other. 

From  this  grievous  visitation,  however,  the  Typees 
are  as  yet  wholly  exempt;  but  its  place  is  unfortunately 
in  some  degree  supplied  by  the  occasional  presence  of  a 
minute  species  of  fly  which,  without  stinging,  is  never- 


28o  TYPEE 

theless  productive  of  no  little  annoyance.  The  tame- 
ness  of  the  birds  and  lizards  is  as  nothing  when  com 
pared  to  the  fearless  confidence  of  this  insect.  He  will 
perch  upon  one  of  your  eye-lashes,  or  go  to  roost 
there,  if  you  do  not  disturb  him,  or  force  his  way 
through  your  hair,  or  along  the  cavity  of  the  nostril, 
till  you  almost  fancy  he  is  resolved  to  explore  the  very 
brain  itself.  On  one  occasion  I  was  so  inconsiderate 
as  to  yawn  while  a  number  of  them  were  hovering  around 
me.  I  never  repeated  the  act.  Some  half-dozen  darted 
into  the  open  apartment,  and  began  walking  about  its 
ceiling;  the  sensation  was  dreadful.  I  involuntarily 
closed  my  mouth,  and  the  poor  creatures  being  enveloped 
in  inner  darkness,  must  in  their  consternation  have 
stumbled  over  my  palate,  and  been  precipitated  into  the 
gulf  beneath.  At  any  rate,  though  I  afterwards  char 
itably  held  my  mouth  open  for  at  least  five  minutes, 
with  a  view  of  affording  egress  to  the  stragglers,  none 
of  them  ever  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity. 

There  are  no  wild  animals  of  any  kind  on  the  island, 
unless  it  be  decided  that  the  natives  themselves  are 
such.  The  mountains  and  the  interior  present  to  the 
eye  nothing  but  silent  solitudes,  unbroken  by  the  roar 
of  beasts  of  prey,  and  enlivened  by  few  tokens  even  of 
minute  animated  existence.  There  are  no  venomous 
reptiles  and  no  snakes  of  any  description  to  be  found 
in  any  of  the  valleys. 

In  a  company  of  Marquesan  natives  the  weather 
affords  no  topic  of  conversation.  It  can  hardly  be  said 
to  have  any  vicissitudes.  The  rainy  season,  it  is  true, 
brings  frequent  showers,  but  they  are  intermitting  and 
refreshing.  When  an  islander  bound  on  some  expedi 
tion  rises  from  his  couch  in  the  morning,  he  is  never 
solicitous  to  peep  out  and  see  how  the  sky  looks  or 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    VALLEY     281 

ascertain  from  what  quarter  the  wind  blows.  He  is 
always  sure  of  a  "fine  day,"  and  the  promise  of  a  few 
genial  showers  he  hails  with  pleasure.  There  is  never 
any  of  that  "remarkable  weather"  on  the  island  which 
from  time  immemorial  has  been  experienced  in  America, 
and  still  continues  to  call  forth  the  wondering  conver 
sational  exclamations  of  its  elderly  citizens.  Nor  do 
there  even  occur  any  of  those  eccentric  meteorological 
changes  which  elsewhere  surprise  us.  In  the  valley  of 
Typee  ice-creams  would  never  be  rendered  less  accept 
able  by  sudden  frosts,  nor  would  picnic  parties  be  de 
ferred  on  account  of  inauspicious  snow-storms;  for  there 
day  follows  day  in  one  unvarying  round  of  summer  and 
sunshine,  and  the  whole  year  is  one  long  tropical  month 
of  June  just  melting  into  July. 

It  is  this  genial  climate  which  causes  the  cocoa-nuts 
to  flourish  as  they  do.  This  invaluable  fruit,  brought 
to  perfection  by  the  rich  soil  of  the  Marquesas,  and 
borne  aloft  on  a  stately  column  more  than  a  hundred 
feet  from  the  ground,  would  seem  at  first  almost  inac- 
cesible  to  the  simple  natives.  Indeed  the  slender,  smooth, 
and  soaring  shaft,  without  a  single  limb  or  protuberance 
of  any  kind  to  assist  one  in  mounting  it,  presents  an 
obstacle  only  to  be  overcome  by  the  surprising  agility 
and  ingenuity  of  the  islanders.  It  might  be  supposed 
that  their  indolence  would  lead  them  patiently  to  await 
the  period  when  the  ripened  nuts,  slowly  parting  from 
their  stems,  fall  one  by  one  to  the  ground.  This  certainly 
would  be  the  case,  were  it  not  that  the  young  fruit,  en 
cased  in  a  soft  green  husk,  with  the  incipient  meat  ad 
hering  in  a  jelly-like  pellicle  to  its  sides,  and  containing 
a  bumper  of  the  most  delicious  nectar,  is  what  they 
chiefly  prize.  They  have  at  least  twenty  different  terms 
to  express  as  many  progressive  stages  in  the  growth  of 


282  TYPEE 

the  nut.  Many  of  them  reject  the  fruit  altogether  except 
at  a  particular  period  of  its  growth,  which,  incredible  as 
it  may  appear,  they  seemed  to  me  to  be  able  to  ascertain 
within  an  hour  or  two.  Others  are  still  more  capricious  in 
their  tastes;  and  after  gathering  together  a  heap  of  the 
nuts  of  all  ages,  and  ingeniously  tapping  them,  will  sip 
first  from  one  and  then  from  another,  as  fastidiously  as 
some  delicate  wine-bibber  experimenting  glass  in  hand 
among  his  dusty  demijohns  of  different  vintages. 

Some  of  the  young  men,  with  more  flexible  frames 
than  their  comrades,  and  perhaps  with  more  courageous 
souls,  had  a  way  of  walking  up  the  trunk  of  the  cocoa- 
nut  trees  which  to  me  seemed  little  less  than  miraculous; 
and  when  looking  at  them  in  the  act,  I  experienced  that 
curious  perplexity  a  child  feels  when  he  beholds  a  fly 
moving  feet  uppermost  along  a  ceiling. 

I  will  endeavour  to  describe  the  way  in  which  Narnee, 
a  noble  young  chief,  sometimes  performed  this  feat  for 
my  peculiar  gratification;  but  his  preliminary  perform 
ances  must  also  be  recorded.  Upon  my  signifying  my 
desire  that  he  should  pluck  me  the  young  fruit  of  some 
particular  tree,  the  handsome  savage,  throwing  himself 
into  a  sudden  attitude-  of  surprise,  feigns  astonishment 
at  the  apparent  absurdity  of  the  request.  Maintaining 
this  position  for  a  moment,  the  strange  emotions  depicted 
on  his  countenance  soften  down  into  one  of  humourous 
resignation  to  my  will,  and  then  looking  wistfully  up  to 
the  tufted  top  of  the  tree,  he  stands  tip-toe,  straining 
his  neck  and  elevating  his  arm,  as  though  endeavouring 
to  reach  the  fruit  from  the  ground  where  he  stands.  As 
if  defeated  in  this  childish  attempt,  he  now  sinks  to  the 
earth  despondingly,  beating  his  breast  in  well-acted  de 
spair;  and  then,  starting  to  his  feet  all  at  once,  and 
throwing  back  his  head,  raises  both  hands,  like  a  school- 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    VALLEY     283 

boy  about  to  catch  a  falling  ball.  After  continuing  this 
for  a  moment  or  two,  as  if  in  expectation  that  the  fruit 
was  going  to  be  tossed  down  to  him  by  some  good  spirit 
in  the  tree-top,  he  turns  wildly  round  in  another  fit  of 
despair,  and  scampers  off  to  the  distance  of  thirty  or 
forty  yards.  Here  he  remains  awhile,  eying  the  tree, 
the  very  picture  of  misery;  but  the  next  moment,  re 
ceiving,  as  it  were,  a  flash  of  inspiration,  he  rushes  again 
towards  it,  and  clasping  both  arms  about  the  trunk,  with 
one  elevated  a  little  above  the  other,  he  presses  the  soles 
of  his  feet  close  together  against  the  tree,  extending  his 
legs  from  it  until  they  are  nearly  horizontal,  and  his  body 
becomes  doubled  into  an  arch ;  then,  hand  over  hand  and 
foot  after  foot,  he  rises  from  the  earth  with  steady  rapid 
ity,  and  almost  before  you  are  aware  of  it  has  gained  the 
cradled  and  embowered  nest  of  nuts,  and  with  boisterous 
glee  flings  the  fruit  to  the  ground. 

This  mode  of  walking  the  tree  is  only  practicable 
where  the  trunk  declines  considerably  from  the  perpen 
dicular.  This,  however,  is  almost  always  the  case,  some 
of  the  perfectly  straight  shafts  of  the  trees  leaning  at  an 
angle  of  thirty  degrees. 

The  less  active  among  the  men,  and  many  of  the  chil 
dren  of  the  valley,  have  another  method  of  climbing. 
They  take  a  broad  and  stout  piece  of  bark  and  secure 
either  end  of  it  to  their  ankles,  so  that  when  the  feet 
thus  confined  are  extended  apart,  a  space  of  little  more 
than  twelve  inches  is  left  between  them.  This  contri 
vance  greatly  facilitates  the  act  of  climbing.  The  band 
pressed  against  the  tree,  and  closely  embracing  it,  yields 
a  pretty  firm  support,  while  with  the  arms  clasped  about 
the  trunk,  and  at  regular  intervals  sustaining  the  body, 
the  feet  are  drawn  up  nearly  a  yard  at  a  time,  and  a  cor 
responding  elevation  of  the  hands  immediately  succeeds. 


284  TYPEE 

In  this  way  I  have  seen  little  children,  scarcely  five  years 
of  age,  fearlessly  climbing  the  slender  pole  of  a  young 
cocoa-nut  tree,  and  while  hanging  perhaps  fifty  feet 
from  the  ground,  receive  the  plaudits  of  their  parents 
beneath,  who  clapped  their  hands  and  encouraged  them 
to  mount  still  higher. 

What,  thought  I,  on  first  witnessing  one  of  these  ex 
hibitions,  would  the  nervous  mothers  of  America  and 
England  say  to  a  similar  display  of  hardihood  in  any  of 
their  children?  The  Lacedaemonian  nations  might  have 
approved  of  it,  but  most  modern  dames  would  have  gone 
into  hysterics  at  the  sight. 

At  the  top  of  the  cocoa-nut  tree  the  numerous  branches 
radiating  on  all  sides  from  a  common  centre  form  a 
sort  of  green  and  waving  basket,  between  the  leaflets 
of  which  you  just  discern  the  nuts  thickly  clustering  to 
gether,  and  on  the  loftier  trees  looking  no  bigger  from 
the  ground  than  bunches  of  grapes.  I  remember  one 
adventurous  little  fellow  —  Too-Too  was  the  rascal's 
name  —  who  had  built  himself  a  sort  of  aerial  baby-house 
in  the  picturesque  tuft  of  a  tree  adjoining  Marheyo's 
habitation.  He  used  to  spend  hours  there,  —  rustling 
among  the  branches,  and  shouting  with  delight  every 
time  the  strong  gusts  of  wind  rushing  down  from  the 
mountain's  side  swayed  to  and  fro  the  tall  and  flexible 
column  on  which  he  was  perched.  Whenever  I  heard 
Too-Too's  musical  voice,  sounding  strangely  to  the  ear 
from  so  great  a  height,  and  beheld  him  peeping  down 
upon  me  from  out  his  leafy  covert,  he  always  recalled  to 
my  mind  Dibdin's  lines  — 

"There's  a  sweet  little  cherub  that  sits  up  aloft, 
To  look  out  for  the  life  of  poor  Jack." 

Birds  —  bright  and  beautiful  birds  —  fly  over  the 
valley  of  Typee.  You  see  them  perched  aloft  among 


NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    THE    VALLEY     285 

the  immovable  boughs  of  the  majestic  bread-fruit  trees, 
or  gently  swaying  on  the  elastic  branches  of  the  omoo; 
skimming  over  the  palmetto  thatching  of  the  bamboo 
huts;  passing  like  spirits  on  the  wing  through  the  shad 
ows  of  the  grove,  and  sometimes  descending  into  the 
bosom  of  the  valley  in  gleaming  flights  from  the  moun 
tains.  Their  plumage  is  purple  and  azure,  crimson  and 
white,  black  and  gold,  with  bills  of  every  tint  —  bright 
bloody-red,  jet  black,  and  ivory  white;  and  their  eyes 
are  bright  and  sparkling;  they  go  sailing  through  the 
air  in  starry  throngs;  but  alas!  the  spell  of  dumbness  is 
upon  them  all  —  there  is  not  a  single  warbler  in  the 
valley ! x 

I  know  not  why  it  was,  but  the  sight  of  these  birds, 
generally  the  ministers  of  gladness,  always  oppressed  me 
with  melancholy.  As  in  their  dumb  beauty  they  hovered 
by  me  whilst  I  was  walking,  or  looked  down  upon  me 
with  steady  curious  eyes  from  out  the  foliage,  I  was  al 
most  inclined  to  fancy  that  they  knew  they  were  gazing 
upon  a  stranger,  and  that  they  commiserated  his  fate. 

1  Stevenson,  however,  mentions  singing  birds  in  other  parts  of 
the  island:  The  South  Seas,  Chapter  XV  (August  27)— [Editor's 
note]. 


CHAPTER   XXX 
TATTOOING   AND    TABOOING 

IN  one  of  my  strolls  with  Kory-Kory,  in  passing 
along  the  border  of  a  thick  growth  of  bushes,  my  atten 
tion  was  arrested  by  a  singular  noise.  On  entering  the 
thicket  I  witnessed  for  the  first  time  the  operation  of 
tattooing  as  performed  by  these  islanders. 

I  beheld  a  man  extended  flat  upon  his  back  on  the 
ground,  and,  despite  the  forced  composure  of  his  coun 
tenance,  it  was  evident  that  he  was  suffering  agony.  His 
tormentor  bent  over  him,  working  away  for  all  the  world 
like  a  stone-cutter  with  mallet  and  chisel.  In  one  hand 
he  held  a  short  slender  stick,  pointed  with  a  shark's 
tooth,  on  the  upright  end  of  which  he  tapped  with  a 
small  hammer-like  piece  of  wood,  thus  puncturing  the 
skin  and  charging  it  with  the  colouring  matter  in  which 
the  instrument  was  dipped.  A  cocoa-nut  shell  contain 
ing  this  fluid  was  placed  upon  the  ground.  It  is  pre 
pared  by  mixing  with  a  vegetable  juice  the  ashes  of  the 
"armor,"  or  candle-nut,  always  preserved  for  the  pur 
pose.  Beside  the  savage,  and  spread  out  upon  a  piece  of 
soiled  tappa,  were  a  great  number  of  curious  black- 
looking  little  implements  of  bone  and  wood,  used  in  the 
various  divisions  of  his  art.  A  few  terminated  in  a  single 
fine  point,  and,  like  very  delicate  pencils,  were  employed 
in  giving  the  finishing  touches,  or  in  operating  upon  the 
more  sensitive  portions  of  the  body,  as  was  the  case 
in  the  present  instance.  Others  presented  several  points 

286 


TATTOOING    AND    TABOOING  287 

distributed  in  a  line,  somewhat  resembling  the  teeth  of  a 
saw.  These  were  employed  in  the  coarser  parts  of  the 
work,  and  particularly  in  pricking  in  straight  marks. 
Some  presented  their  points  disposed  in  small  figures, 
and  being  placed  upon  the  body,  were,  by  a  single  blow 
of  the  hammer,  made  to  leave  their  indelible  impression. 
I  observed  a  few  the  handles  of  which  were  mysteriously 
curved,  as  if  intended  to  be  introduced  into  the  orifice 
of  the  ear,  with  a  view  perhaps  of  beating  the  tattoo 
upon  the  tympanum.  Altogether  the  sight  of  these 
strange  instruments  recalled  to  mind  that  display  of 
cruel-looking  mother-of-pearl-handled  things  which  one 
sees  in  their  velvet-lined  cases  at  the  elbow  of  a  dentist. 

The  artist  was  not  at  this  time  engaged  on  an  original 
sketch,  his  subject  being  a  venerable  savage  whose  tat 
tooing  had  become  somewhat  faded  with  age  and  needed 
a  few  repairs,  and  accordingly  he  was  merely  employed 
in  touching  up  the  works  of  some  of  the  old  masters  of 
the  Typee  school,  as  delineated  upon  the  human  canvas 
before  him.  The  parts  operated  upon  were  the  eyelids, 
where  a  longitudinal  streak,  like  the  one  which  adorned 
Kory-Kory,  crossed  the  countenance  of  the  victim. 

In  spite  of  all  the  efforts  of  the  poor  old  man,  sundry 
twitchings  and  screwings  of  the  muscles  of  the  face  de 
noted  the  exquisite  sensibility  of  these  shutters  to  the 
windows  of  his  soul  which  he  was  now  having  repainted. 
But  the  artist,  with  a  heart  as  callous  as  that  of  an 
army  surgeon,  continued  his  performance,  enlivening  his 
labours  with  a  wild  chant,  tapping  away  the  while  as 
merrily  as  a  woodpecker. 

So  deeply  engaged  was  he  in  his  work  that  he  had 
not  observed  our  approach  until,  after  having  enjoyed 
an  unmolested  view  of  the  operation,  I  chose  to  attract 
Jus  attention.  As  soon  as  he  perceived  me,  supposing 


288  TYPEE 

that  I  sought  him  in  his  professional  capacity,  he  seized 
hold  of  me  in  a  paroxysm  of  delight,  and  was  all  eager 
ness  to  begin  the  work.  When,  however,  I  gave  him 
to  understand  that  he  had  altogether  mistaken  my 
views,  nothing  could  exceed  his  grief  and  disappoint 
ment.  But  recovering  from  this,  he  seemed  determined 
not  to  credit  my  assertion,  and  grasping  his  implements, 
he  flourished  them  about  in  fearful  vicinity  to  my  face, 
going  through  an  imaginary  performance  of  his  art,  and 
every  moment  bursting  into  some  admiring  exclamation 
at  the  beauty  of  his  designs. 

Horrified  at  the  bare  thought  of  being  rendered  hid 
eous  for  life  if  the  wretch  were  to  execute  his  purpose 
upon  me,  I  struggled  to  get  away  from  him,  while 
Kory-Kory,  turning  traitor,  stood  by  and  besought  me 
to  comply  with  the  outrageous  request.  On  my  reit 
erated  refusals  the  excited  artist  got  half  beside  him 
self,  and  was  overwhelmed  with  sorrow  at  losing  so 
noble  an  opportunity  of  distinguishing  himself  in  his 
profession. 

The  idea  of  engrafting  his  tattooing  upon  my  white 
skin  filled  him  with  all  a  painter's  enthusiasm:  again 
and  again  he  gazed  into  my  countenance,  and  every 
fresh  glimpse  seemed  to  add  to  the  vehemence  of  his 
ambition.  Not  knowing  to  what  extremities  he  might 
proceed,  and  shuddering  at  the  ruin  he  might  inflict 
upon  my  figure-head,  I  now  endeavoured  to  draw  off  his 
attention  from  it,  and  holding  out  my  arm  in  a  fit  of 
desperation,  signed  to  him  to  commence  operations.  But 
he  rejected  the  compromise  indignantly,  and  still  con 
tinued  his  attack  on  my  face,  as  though  nothing  short 
of  that  would  satisfy  him.  When  his  forefinger  swept 
across  my  features,  in  laying  out  the  borders  of  those 
parallel  bands  which  were  to  encircle  my  countenance, 


TATTOOING    AND    TABOOING  289 

the  flesh  fairly  crawled  upon  my  bones.  At  last,  half 
wild  with  terror  and  indignation,  I  succeeded  in  break 
ing  away  from  the  three  savages  and  fled  towards  old 
Marheyo's  house,  pursued  by  the  indomitable  artist, 
who  ran  after  me,  implements  in  hand.  Kory-Kory, 
however,  at  last  interferred  and  drew  him  off  from  the 
chase. 

This  incident  opened  my  eyes  to  a  new  danger;  and 
I  now  felt  convinced  that  in  some  luckless  hour  I  should 
be  disfigured  in  such  a  manner  as  never  more  to  have 
the  face  to  return  to  my  countrymen,  even  should  an 
opportunity  offer. 

These  apprehensions  were  greatly  increased  by  the 
desire  which  King  Mehevi  and  several  of  the  inferior 
chiefs  now  manifested  that  I  should  be  tattooed.  The 
pleasure  of  the  king  was  'first  signified  to  me  some  three 
days  after  my  casual  encounter  with  Karky  the  artist. 
Heavens!  What  imprecations  I  showered  upon  that 
Karky!  Doubtless  he  had  plotted  a  conspiracy  against 
me  and  my  countenance,  and  would  never  rest  until  his 
diabolical  purpose  was  accomplished.  Several  times  I 
met  him  in  various  parts  of  the  valley,  and  invariably, 
whenever  he  descried  me,  he  came  running  after  me 
with  his  mallet  and  chisel,  flourishing  them  about  my 
face  as  if  he  longed  to  begin.  What  an  object  he  would 
have  made  of  me! 

When  the  king  first  expressed  his  wish  to  me,  I  made 
known  to  him  my  utter  abhorrence  of  the  measure,  and 
worked  myself  into  such  a  state  of  excitement  that  he 
absolutely  stared  at  me  in  amazement.  It  evidently 
surpassed  his  majesty's  comprehension  how  any  sober- 
minded  and  sensible  individual  could  entertain  the  least 
possible  objection  to  so  beautifying  an  operation. 

Soon    afterwards    he    repeated    his    suggestion,    and 


2  90  TYPEE 

meeting  with  a  like  repulse,  showed  some  symptoms  of 
displeasure  at  my  obduracy.  On  his  a  third  time  re 
newing  his  request,  I  plainly  perceived  that  something 
must  be  done,  or  my  visage  was  ruined  forever;  I  there 
fore  screwed  up  my  courage  to  the  sticking  point,  and 
declared  my  willingness  to  have  both  arms  tattooed  from 
just  above  the  wrist  to  the  shoulder.  His  majesty  was 
greatly  pleased  at  the  proposition,  and  I  was  congratu 
lating  myself  with  having  thus  compromised  the  mat 
ter,  when  he  intimated  that  as  a  thing  of  course  my 
face  was  first  to  undergo  the  operation.  I  was  fairly 
driven  to  despair;  nothing  but  the  utter  ruin  of  my 
"face  divine,"  as  the  poets  call  it,  would,  I  perceived, 
satisfy  the  inexorable  Mehevi  and  his  chiefs,  or  rather 
that  infernal  Karky,  for  he  was  at  the  bottom  of  it  all. 

The  only  consolation  afforded  me  was  a  choice  of 
patterns:  I  was  at  perfect  liberty  to  have  my  face 
spanned  by  three  horizontal  bars,  after  the  fashion  of 
my  serving-man's;  or  to  have  as  many  oblique  stripes 
slanting  across  it;  or  if,  like  a  true  courtier,  I  chose  to 
model  my  style  on  that  of  royalty,  I  might  wear  a  sort 
of  freemason  badge  upon  my  countenance  in  the  shape 
of  a  mystic  triangle.  However,  I  would  have  none  of 
these,  though  the.  king  most  earnestly  impressed  upon 
my  mind  that  my  choice  was  wholly  unrestricted.  At 
last,  seeing  my  unconquerable  repugnance,  he  ceased  to 
importune  me. 

But  not  so  some  other  of  the  savages.  Hardly  a  day 
passed  but  I  was  subjected  to  their  annoying  requests, 
until  at  last  my  existence  became  a  burden  to  me;  the 
pleasures  I  had  previously  enjoyed  no  longer  afforded 
me  delight,  and  all  my  former  desire  to  escape  from  the 
valley  now  revived  with  additional  force. 

A  fact  which  I  soon  afterwards  learned  augmented 


TATTOOING   AND    TABOOING  291 

my  apprehension.  The  whole  system  of  tattooing  was, 
I  found,  connected  with  their  religion,  and  it  was  evi 
dent,  therefore,  that  they  were  resolved  to  make  a  convert 
of  me. 

In  the  decoration  of  the  chiefs  it  seems  to  be  neces 
sary  to  exercise  the  most  elaborate  pencilling,  while 
some  of  the  inferior  natives  looked  as  if  they  had  been 
daubed  over  indiscriminately  with  a  house-painter's 
brush.  I  remember  one  fellow  who  prided  himself 
hugely  upon  a  great  oblong  patch,  placed  high  upon 
his  back,  and  who  always  reminded  me  of  a  man  with 
a  blister  of  Spanish  flies  stuck  between  his  shoulders. 
Another  whom  I  frequently  met  had  the  hollow  of  his 
eyes  tattooed  in  two  regular  squares,  and  his  visual 
organs  being  remarkably  brilliant,  they  gleamed  forth 
from  out  this  setting  like  a  couple  of  diamonds  inserted 
in  ebony. 

Although  convinced  that  tattooing  was  a  religious  ob 
servance,  still  the  nature  of  the  connection  between 
it  and  the  superstitious  idolatry  of  the  people  was  a 
point  upon  which  I  could  never  obtain  any  information. 
Like  the  still  more  important  system  of  the  "taboo," 
it  always  appeared  inexplicable  to  me. 

There  is  a  marked  similarity,  almost  an  identity,  be 
tween  the  religious  institutions  of  most  of  the  Polynesian 
islands,  and  in  all  exists  the  mysterious  "taboo,"  re 
stricted  in  its  uses  to  a  greater  or  less  extent.  So  strange 
and  complex  in  its  arrangements  is  this  remarkable 
system  that  I  have  in  several  cases  met  with  individuals 
who,  after  residing  for  years  among  the  islands  in  the 
Pacific  and  acquiring  a  considerable  knowledge  of  the 
language,  have  nevertheless  been  altogether  unable  to 
give  any  satisfactory  account  of  its  operations.  Situ 
ated  as  I  was  in  the  Typee  valley,  I  perceived  every 


292  TYPEE 

hour  the  effects  of  this  all-controlling  power,  without  in 
the  least  comprehending  it.  Those  effects  were,  indeed, 
wide-spread  and  universal,  pervading  the  most  impor 
tant  as  well  as  the  minutest  transactions  of  life.  The 
savage,  in  short,  lives  in  the  continual  observance  of  its 
dictates,  which  guide  and  control  every  action  of  his 
being. 

For  several  days  after  entering  the  valley  I  had  been 
saluted  at  least  fifty  times  in  the  twenty- four  hours 
with  the  talismanic  word  "taboo"  shrieked  in  my  ears, 
at  some  gross  violation  of  its  provisions  of  which  I  had 
unconsciously  been  guilty.  The  day  after  our  arrival 
I  happened  to  hand  some  tobacco  to  Toby  over  the 
head  of  a  native  who  sat  between  us.  He  started  up, 
as  if  stung  by  an  adder,  while  the  whole  company, 
manifesting  an  equal  degree  of  horror,  simultaneously 
screamed  out  "Taboo!"  I  never  again  perpetrated  a 
similar  piece  of  ill-manners,  which,  indeed,  was  forbidden 
by  the  canons  of  good  breeding  as  well  as  by  the  man 
dates  of  the  taboo.  But  it  was  not  always  so  easy  to  per 
ceive  wherein  you  had  contravened  the  spirit  of  this  in 
stitution.  I  was  many  times  called  to  order,  if  I  may  use 
the  phrase,  when  I  could  not  for  the  life  of  me  conjecture 
what  particular  offence  I  had  committed. 

One  day  I  was  strolling  through  a  secluded  portion 
of  the  valley,  and  hearing  the  musical  sound  of  the 
cloth-mallet  at  a  little  distance,  I  turned  down  a  path 
that  conducted  me  in  a  few  moments  to  a  house  where 
there  were  some  half-dozen  girls  employed  in  making 
tappa.  This  was  an  operation  I  had  frequently  wit 
nessed,  and  had  handled  the  bark  in  all  the  various 
stages  of  its  preparation.  On  the  present  occasion  the 
females  were  intent  upon  their  occupation,  and  after 
looking  up  and  talking  gayly  to  me  for  a  few  moments, 


TATTOOING    AND    TABOOING  293 

they  resumed  their  employment.  I  regarded  them  for 
a  while  in  silence,  and  then  carelessly  picking  up  a 
handful  of  the  material  that  lay  around,  proceeded  un 
consciously  to  pick  it  apart.  While  thus  engaged  I  was 
suddenly  startled  by  a  scream  like  that  of  a  whole 
boarding-school  of  young  ladies  just  on  the  point  of 
going  into  hysterics.  Leaping  up  with  the  idea  of  seeing 
a  score  of  Happar  warriors  about  to  perform  anew  the  Sa- 
bine  atrocity,  I  found  myself  confronted  by  the  company 
of  girls,  who,  having  dropped  their  work,  stood  before  me 
with  starting  eyes,  swelling  bosoms,  and  fingers  pointed 
in  horror  towards  me. 

Thinking  that  some  venomous  reptile  must  be  con 
cealed  in  the  bark  which  I  held  in  my  hand,  I  began 
cautiously  to  separate  and  examine  it.  Whilst  I  did 
so  the  horrified  girls  redoubled  their  shrieks.  Their 
wild  cries  and  frightened  motions  actually  alarmed  me, 
and  throwing  down  the  tappa,  I  was  about  to  rush  from 
the  house,  when  in  the  same  instant  their  clamours 
ceased,  and  one  of  them,  seizing  me  by  the  arm,  pointed 
to  the  broken  fibres  that  had  just  fallen  from  my  grasp, 
and  screamed  in  my  ears  the  fatal  word  taboo! 

I  subsequently  found  out  that  the  fabric  they  were 
engaged  in  making  was  of  a  peculiar  kind,  destined  to 
be  worn  on  the  heads  of  females,  and  through  every 
stage  of  its  manufacture  was  guarded  by  a  rigorous  taboo 
which  interdicted  the  whole  masculine  gender  from  even 
so  much  as  touching  it. 

Frequently  in  walking  through  the  groves  I  observed 
bread-fruit  and  cocoa-nut  trees  with  a  wreath  of  leaves 
twined  in  a  peculiar  fashion  about  their  trunks.  This 
was  the  mark  of  the  taboo.  The  trees  themselves,  their 
fruit,  and  even  the  shadows  they  cast  upon  the  ground, 
were  consecrated  by  its  presence.  In  the  same  way  a 


294  TYPEE 

pipe  which  the  king  had  bestowed  upon  me  was  ren 
dered  sacred  in  the  eyes  of  the  natives,  none  of  whom 
could  I  ever  prevail  upon  to  smoke  from  it.  The  bowl 
was  encircled  by  a  woven  band  of  grass,  somewhat  re 
sembling  those  Turks'  heads  occasionally  worked  in 
the  handles  of  our  whip-stalks. 

A  similar  badge  was  once  braided  about  my  wrist  by 
the  royal  hand  of  Mehevi  himself,  who,  as  soon  as  he 
had  concluded  the  operation,  pronounced  me  "taboo." 
This  occurred  shortly  after  Toby's  disappearance;  and 
were  it  not  that  from  the  first  moment  I  had  entered  the 
valley  the  natives  had  treated  me  with  uniform  kind 
ness,  I  should  have  supposed  that  their  conduct  after 
wards  was  to  be  ascribed  to  the  fact  that  I  had  received 
this  sacred  investiture. 

The  capricious  operation  of  the  taboo  is  not  its  least 
remarkable  feature;  to  enumerate  them  all  would  be 
impossible.  Black  hogs  —  infants  to  a  certain  age  — 
young  men  while  the  operation  of  tattooing  their  faces 
)ing  on  —  and  certain  parts  of  the  valley  during  the 

itinuance  of  a  shower  —  are  alike  fenced  about  by  the 
operation  of  the  taboo. 

I  witnessed  a  striking  instance  of  its  effects  in  the 
bay  of  Tior,  my  visit  to  which  place  has  been  alluded 
to  in  a  former  part  of  this  narrative.  On  that  occasion 
our  worthy  captain  formed  one  of  the  party.  He  was 
a  most  insatiable  sportsman.  Outward  bound,  and  off 
the  pitch  of  Cape  Horn,  he  used  to  sit  on  the  taffrail  and 
keep  the  steward  loading  three  or  four  old  fowling- 
pieces,  with  which  he  would  bring  down  albatrosses,  Cape 
pigeons,  jays,  petrels,  and  divers  other  marine  fowl  who 
followed  chattering  in  our  wake.  The  sailors  were 
struck  aghast  at  his  impiety,  and  one  and  all  attributed 


TATTOOING   AND    TABOOING  295 

our  forty  days'  beating  about  that  horrid  headland  to 
his  sacrilegious  slaughter  of  these  inoffensive  birds.1 

At  Tior  he  evinced  the  same  disregard  for  the  reli 
gious  prejudices  of  the  islanders  as  he  had  previously 
shown  for  the  superstitions  of  the  sailors.  Having  heard 
that  there  were  a  considerable  number  of  fowls  in  the 
valley  —  the  progeny  of  some  cocks  and  hens  acci- 
dently  left  there  by  an  English  vessel,  and  which,  being 
strictly  tabooed,  flew  about  almost  in  a  wild  state  — 
he  determined  to  break  through  all  restraints  and  be  the 
death  of  them.  Accordingly  he  provided  himself  with 
a  most  formidable  looking  gun  and  announced  his  land 
ing  on  the  beach  by  shooting  down  a  noble  cock  that 
was  crowing  what  proved  to  be  his  own  funeral  dirge, 
on  the  limb  of  an  adjoining  tree.  "Taboo,"  shrieked 
the  affrighted  savages.  "Oh,  hang  your  taboo,"  says 
the  nautical  sportsman;  "talk  taboo  to  the  marines;" 
and  bang  went  the  piece  again,  and  down  came  another 
victim.  At  this  the  natives  ran  scampering  through 
the  groves,  horror-struck  at  the  enormity  of  the  act. 

All  that  afternoon  the  rocky  sides  of  the  valley  rang 
with  successive  reports,  and  the  superb  .plumage  of  many 
a  beautiful  fowl  was  ruffled  by  the  fatal  bullet.  Had  it 
not  been  that  the  French  admiral,  with  a  large  party, 
was  then  in  the  glen,  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  natives, 
although  their  tribe  was  small  and  dispirited,  would 
have  inflicted  summary  vengeance  upon  the  man  who 
thus  outraged  their  most  sacred  institutions;  as  it  was, 
they  contrived  to  annoy  him  not  a  little. 

Thirsting  with  his  exertions,  the  skipper  directed  his 
steps  to  a  stream;  but  the  savages,  who  had  followed  at 
a  little  distance,  perceiving  his  object,  rushed  towards 

1  This  superstition  of  sailors  is  used  effectively  in  Coleridge's 
The  Ancient  Mariner — [Editors  note]. 


296  TYPEE 

him  and  forced  him  away  from  its  bank  —  his  lips  would 
have  polluted  it.  Wearied  at  last,  he  sought  to  enter  a 
house,  that  he  might  rest  for  a  while  on  the  mats;  its 
inmates  gathered  tumultuously  about  the  door  and  de 
nied  him  admittance.  He  coaxed  and  blustered  by  turns, 
but  in  vain;  the  natives  were  neither  to  be  intimidated 
nor  appeased,  and  as  a  final  resort  he  was  obliged  to  call 
together  his  boat's  crew  and  pull  away  from  what  he 
termed  the  most  infernal  place  he  ever  stepped  upon. 

Lucky  was  it  for  him  and  for  us  that  we  were  not 
honoured  on  our  departure  by  a  salute  of  stones  from  the 
hands  of  the  exasperated  Tiors.  In  this  way,  on  the 
neighbouring  island  of  Ropo,  were  killed,  but  a  few 
weeks  previously,  and  for  a  nearly  similar  offence,  the 
master  and  three  of  the  crew  of  the  W . 

I  cannot  determine  with  anything  approaching  to  cer 
tainty,  what  power  it  is  that  imposes  the  taboo.  When 
I  consider  the  slight  disparity  of  condition  among  the 
islanders  —  the  very  limited  and  inconsiderable  preroga 
tives  of  the  king  and  chiefs  —  and  the  loose  and  indefinite 
functions  of  the  priesthood,  most  of  whom  were  hardly 
to  be  distinguished  from  the  rest  of  their  countrymen, 
I  am  wholly  at  a  loss  where  to  look  for  the  authority 
which  regulates  this  potent  institution.  It  is  imposed 
upon  something  to-day,  and  withdrawn  to-morrow,  while 
its  operations  in  other  cases  are  perpetual.  Sometimes 
its  restrictions  only  affect  a  single  individual — some 
times  a  particular  family  —  sometimes  a  whole  tribe; 
and  in  a  few  instances  they  extend  not  merely  over  the 
various  clans  on  a  single  island,  but  over  all  the  inhabi 
tants  of  an  entire  group.  In  illustration  of  this  latter 
peculiarity,  I  may  cite  the  law  which  forbids  a  female  to 
enter  a  canoe  —  a  prohibition  which  prevails  upon  all  .the 
northern  Marquesas  Islands. 


TATTOOING   AND    TABOOING  297 

The  word  itself  (taboo)  is  used  in  more  than  one  sig 
nification.  It  is  sometimes  used  by  a  parent  to  his  child, 
when  in  the  exercise  of  parental  authority  he  forbids  it 
to  perform  a  particular  action.  Anything  opposed  to 
the  ordinary  customs  of  the  islanders,  although  not  ex 
pressly  prohibited,  is  said  to  be  "taboo." 

The  Typee  language  is  one  very  difficult  to  be  ac 
quired;  it  bears  a  close  resemblance  to  the  other  Polyne 
sian  dialects,  all  of  which  show  a  common  origin.  The 
duplication  of  words,  as  "lumee  lumee,''  "poee  poee," 
"muee  muee,"  is  one  of  their  peculiar  features.  But 
another,  and  a  more  annoying  one,  is  the  different  senses 
in  which  one  and  the  same  word  is  employed;  its  various 
meanings  all  have  a  certain  connection,  which  only  makes 
the  matter  more  puzzling.  So  one  brisk,  lively  little 
word  is  obliged,  like  a  servant  in  a  poor  family,  to  per 
form  all  sorts  of  duties;  for  instance,  one  particular 
combination  of  syllables  expresses  the  ideas  of  sleep, 
rest,  reclining,  sitting,  leaning,  and  all  other  things  any 
wise  analogous  thereto,  the  particular  meaning  being 
shown  chiefly  by  a  variety  of  gestures  and  the  eloquent 
expression  of  the  countenance. 

The  intricacy  of  these  dialects  is  another  peculiarity. 
In  the  Missionary  College  at  Lahainaluna,  on  Maui,  one 
of  the  Sandwich  Islands,  I  saw  a  tabular  exhibition  of  a 
Hawaiian  verb,  conjugated  through  all  its  moods  and 
tenses.  It  covered  the  side  of  a  considerable  apartment, 
and  I  doubt  whether  Sir  William  Jones  himself  would 
not  have  despaired  of  mastering  it. 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

CURIOUS   ODDS   AND    ENDS 

SADLY  discursive  as  I  have  already  been,  I  must  still 
further  entreat  the  reader's  patience,  as  I  am  about  to 
string  together,  without  any  attempt  at  order,  a  few 
odds  and  ends  of  things  not  hitherto  mentioned,  but 
which  are  either  curious  in  themselves  or  peculiar  to 
the  Typees. 

There  was  one  singular  custom,  observed  in  old  Mar- 
heyo's  domestic  establishment,  which  often  excited  my 
surprise.  Every  night,  before  retiring,  the  inmates  of 
the  house  gathered  together  on  the  mats,  and  squatting 
upon  their  haunches,  after  the  universal  practice  of  these 
islanders,  would  commence  a  low,  dismal,  and  monoto 
nous  chant,  .accompanying  the  voice  with  the  instrumental 
melody  produced  by  two  small  half-rotten  sticks  tapped 
slowly  together,  a  pair  of  which  were  held  in  the  hands 
of  each  person  present.  Thus  would  they  employ  them 
selves  for  an  hour  or  two,  sometimes  longer.  Lying  in 
the  gloom  which  wrapped  the  further  end  of  the  house, 
I  could  not  avoid  looking  at  them,  although  the  spectacle 
suggested  nothing  but  unpleasant  reflections.  The  flick 
ering  rays  of  the  "armor"  nut  just  served  to  reveal  their 
savage  lineaments,  without  dispelling  the  darkness  that 
hovered  about  them. 

Sometimes  when,  after  falling  into  a  kind  of  doze, 
and  awakening  suddenly  in  the  midst  of  these  doleful 
chantings,  my  eye  would  fall  upon  the  wild-looking 

298 


CURIOUS    ODDS   AND    ENDS  299 

group  engaged  in  their  strange  occupation,  with  their 
naked  tattooed  limbs  and  shaven  heads  disposed  in  a 
circle,  I  was  almost  tempted  to  believe  that  I  gazed 
upon  a  set  of  evil  beings  in  the  act  of  working  a  fright 
ful  incantation. 

What  was  the  meaning  or  purpose  of  this  custom, 
whether  it  was  practised  merely  as  a  diversion,  or  whether 
it  was  a  religious  exercise,  a  sort  of  family  prayers,  I 
never  could  discover. 

The  sounds  produced  by  the  natives  on  these  occa 
sions  were  of  a  most  singular  description;  and  had  I 
not  actually  been  present,  I  never  would  have  believed 
that  such  curious  noises  could  have  been  produced  by 
human  beings. 

To  savages  generally  is  imputed  a  guttural  articula 
tion.  This,  however,  is  not  always  the  case,  especially 
among  the  inhabitants  of  the  Polynesian  Archipelago. 
The  labial  melody  with  which  the  Typee  girls  carry  on 
an  ordinary  conversation,  giving  a  musical  prolongation 
to  the  final  syllable  of  every  sentence,  and  chirping  out 
some  of  the  words  with  a  liquid,  bird-like  accent,  was 
singularly  pleasing. 

The  men,  however,  are  not  quite  so  harmonious  in 
their  utterance,  and  when  excited  upon  any  subject  would 
work  themselves  up  into  a  sort  of  wordy  paroxysm 
during  which  all  descriptions  of  rough-sided  sounds  were 
projected  from  their  mouths,  with  a  force  and  rapidity 
which  were  absolutely  astonishing. 

Although  these  savages  are  remarkably  fond  of  chant 
ing,  still  they  appear  to  have  no  idea  whatever  of  sing 
ing,  at  least  as  that  art  is  practised  among  other  nations. 

I  never  shall  forget  the  first  time  I  happened  to  roar 
out  a  stave  in  the  presence  of  the  noble  Mehevi.  It 
was  a  stanza  from  the  "Bavarian  Broom-seller. '  His 


300  TYPEE 

Typean  majesty,  with  all  his  court,  gazed  upon  me  in 
amazement,  as  if  I  had  displayed  some  preternatural 
faculty  which  Heaven  had  denied  to  them.  The  king 
was  delighted  with  the  verse;  but  the  chorus  fairly 
transported  him.  At  his  solicitation  I  sang  it  again  and 
again,  and  nothing  could  be  more  ludicrous  than  his 
vain  attempts  to  catch  the  air  and  the  words.  The  royal 
savage  seemed  to  think  that  by  screwing  all  the  features 
of  his  face  into  the  end  of  his  nose  he  might  possibly 
succeed  in  the  undertaking,  but  it  failed  to  answer  the 
purpose;  and  in  the  end  he  gave  it  up,  and  consoled 
himself  by  listening  to  my  repetition  of  the  sounds  fifty 
times  over. 

Previous  to  Mehevi's  making  the  discovery,  I  had 
never  been  aware  that  there  was  anything  of  the  night 
ingale  about  me;  but  I  was  now  promoted  to  the  place 
of  court-minstrel,  in  which  capacity  I  was  afterwards 
perpetually  called  upon  to  officiate. 

Besides  the  sticks  and  the  drums,  there  are  no  other 
musical  instruments  among  the  Typees,  except  one  which 
might  appropriately  be  denominated  a  nasal  flute.  It  is 
somewhat  longer  than  an  ordinary  fife,  is  made  of  a  beau 
tiful  scarlet-coloured  reed,  and  has  four  or  five  stops, 
with  a  large  hole  near  one  end,  which  latter  is  held  just 
beneath  the  left  nostril.  The  other  nostril  being  closed 
by  a  peculiar  movement  of  the  muscles  about  the  nose, 
the  breath  is  forced  into  the  tube,  and  produces  a  soft 
dulcet  sound,  which  is  varied  by  the  fingers  running  at 
random  over  trie  stops.  This  is  a  favourite  recreation 
with  the  females,  and  one  in  which  Fayaway  greatly 
excelled.  Awkward  as'  such  an  instrument  may  appear, 
it  was,  in  Fayaway 's  delicate  little  hands,  one  of  the  most 
graceful  I  have  ever  seen.  A  young  lady  in.  the  act  of 


CURIOUS    ODDS    AND    ENDS  301 

tormenting  a  guitar  strung  about  her  neck  by  a  couple 
of  yards  of  blue  ribbon  is  not  half  so  engaging. 

Singing  was  not  the  only  means  I  possessed  of  divert 
ing  the  royal  Mehevi  and  his  easy-going  subjects.  Noth 
ing  afforded  them  more  pleasure  than  to  see  me  go 
through  the  attitude  of  pugilistic  encounter.  As  not 
one  of  the  natives  had  soul  enough  in  him  to  stand  up 
like  a  man  and  allow  me  to  hammer  away  at  him,  for 
my  own  personal  gratification  and  that  of  the  king,  I 
was  necessitated  to  fight  with  an  imaginary  enemy, 
whom  I  invariably  made  to  knock  under  to  my  superior 
prowess.  Sometimes  when  this  sorely  battered  shadow 
retreated  precipitately  towards  a  group  of  the  savages, 
and,  following  him  up,  I  rushed  among  them,  dealing 
my  blows  right  and  left,  they  would  disperse  in  all  direc 
tions,  much  to  the  enjoyment  of  Mehevi,  the  chiefs,  and 
themselves. 

The  noble  art  of  self-defence  appeared  to  be  regarded 
by  them  as  the  peculiar  gift  of  the  white  man;  and  I 
make  little  doubt  but  that  they  supposed  armies  of 
Europeans  were  drawn  up  provided  with  nothing  else 
but  bony  fists  and  stout  hearts,  with  which  they  set  to 
in  column  and  pummelled  one  another  at  the  word  of 
command. 

One  day,  in  company  with  Kory-Kory,  I  had  repaired 
to  the  stream  for  the  purpose  of  bathing,  when  I  observed 
a  woman  sitting  upon  a  rock  in  the  midst  of  the  current, 
and  watching  with  the  liveliest  interest  the  gambols  of 
something  which  at  first  I  took  to  be  an  uncommonly 
large  species  of  frog  that  was  sporting  in  the  water  near 
her.  Attracted  by  the  novelty  of  the  sight,  I  waded 
towards  the  spot  where  she  sat,  and  could  hardly  credit 
the  evidence  of  my  senses  when  I  beheld  a  little  infant, 


302  TYPEE 

the  period  of  whose  birth  could  not  have  extended  back 
many  days,  paddling  about  as  if  it  had  just  risen  to  the 
surface  after  being  hatched  into  existence  at  the  bot 
tom.  Occasionally  the  delighted  parent  reached  out 
her  hands  towards  it,  when  the  little  thing,  uttering  a 
faint  cry,  and  striking  out  its  tiny  limbs,  would  sidle 
for  the  rock,  and  the  next  moment  be  clasped  to  its 
mother's  bosom.  This  was  repeated  again  and  again, 
the  baby  remaining  in  the  stream  about  a  minute  at  a 
time.  Once  or  twice  it  made  wry  faces  at  swallowing 
a  mouthful  of  water,  and  choked  and  spluttered  as  if  on 
the  point  of  strangling.  At  such  times,  however,  the 
mother  snatched  it  up,  and  by  a  process  scarcely  to  be 
mentioned  obliged  it  to  eject  the  fluid.  For  several 
weeks  afterwards  I  observed  this  woman  bringing  her 
child  down  to  the  stream  regularly  every  day,  in  the 
cool  of  the  morning  and  evening,  and  treating  it  to  a 
bath.  No  wonder  that  the  South  Sea  Islanders  are  so 
amphibious  a  race,  when  they  are  thus  launched  into 
the  water  as  soon  as  they  can  see  the  light.  I  am  con 
vinced  that  it  is  as  natural  for  a  human  being  to  swim 
as  it  is  for  a  duck.  And  yet  in  civilized  communities  how 
many  able-bodied  individuals  die,  like  so  many  drowning 
kittens,  from  the  occurrence  of  the  most  trivial  accidents! 

The  long,  luxuriant,  and  glossy  tresses  of  the  Typee 
damsels  often  attracted  my  admiration.  A  fine  head  of 
hair  is  the  pride  and  joy  of  every  woman's  heart! 
Whether,  against  the  express  will  of  Providence,  it 
is  twisted  up  on  the  crown  of  the  head  and  there  coiled 
away  like  a  rope  on  a  ship's  deck;  whether  it  be  stuck 
behind  the  ears  and  hangs  down  like  the  swag  of  a 
small  window-curtain;  or  whether  it  be  permitted  to 
flow  over  the  shoulders  in  natural  ringlets,  it  is  always 
the  pride  of  the  owner  and  the  glory  of  the  toilet. 


CURIOUS   ODDS   AND    ENDS  303 

The  Typee  girls  devote  much  of  their  time  to  the 
dressing  of  their  fair  and  redundant  locks.  After  bath 
ing,  as  they  sometimes  do  five  or  six  times  every  day, 
the  hair  is  carefully  dried,  and  if  they  have  been  in  the 
sea,  invariably  washed  in  fresh  water  and  anointed 
with  a  highly  scented  oil  extracted  from  the  meat  of  the 
cocoa-nut.  This  oil  is  obtained  in  great  abundance  by 
the  following  very  simple  process: 

A  large  vessel  of  wood,  with  holes  perforated  in  the 
bottom,  is  filled  with  the  pounded  meat  and  exposed  to 
the  rays  of  the  sun.  As  the  oleaginous  matter  exudes, 
it  falls  in  drops  through  the  apertures  into  a  wide- 
mouthed  calabash  placed  underneath.  After  a  sufficient 
quantity  has  been  thus  collected,  the  oil  undergoes  a 
purifying  process,  and  is  then  poured  into  the  small 
spherical  shells  of  the  nuts  of  the  moo-tree,  which  are 
hollowed  out  to  receive  it.  These  nuts  are  then  her 
metically  sealed  with  a  resinous  gum,  and  the  vegetable 
fragrance  of  their  green  rind  soon  imparts  to  the  oil  a 
delightful  odour.  After  the  lapse  of  a  few  weeks  the 
exterior  shell  of  the  nuts  becomes  quite  dry  and  hard, 
and  assumes  a  beautiful  carnation  tint ;  and  when  opened 
they  are  found  to  be  about  two-thirds  full  of  an  ointment 
of  a  light  yellow  colour,  and  diffusing  the  sweetest  per 
fume.  This  elegant  little  odorous  globe  would  not  be 
out  of  place  even  upon  the  toilet  of  a  queen.  Its 
merits  as  a  preparation  for  the  hair  are  undeniable  — 
it  imparts  to  it  a  superb  gloss  and  a  silky  fineness. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 
A   FRIGHTFUL    DISCOVERY 

FROM  the  time  of  my  casual  encounter  with  Karky 
the  artist,  my  life  was  one  of  absolute  wretchedness. 
Not  a  day  passed  but  I  was  persecuted  by  the  solicita 
tions  of  some  of  the  natives  to  subject  myself  to  the 
odious  operation  of  tattooing.  Their  importunities  drove 
me  half  wild,  for  I  felt  how  easily  they  might  work  their 
will  upon  me  regarding  this  or  anything  else  which  they 
took  into  their  heads.  Still,  however,  the  behaviour 
of  the  islanders  towards  me  was  as  kind  as  ever.  Fay- 
away  was  quite  as  engaging,  Kory-Kory  as  devoted,  and 
Mehevi  the  king  just  as  gracious  and  condescending  as 
before.  But  I  had  now  been  three  months  in  their  valley, 
as  nearly  as  I  could  estimate;  I  had  grown  familiar  with 
the  narrow  limits  to  which  my  wanderings  had  been  con 
fined;  and  I  began  bitterly  to  feel  the  state  of  cap 
tivity  in  which  I  was  held.  There  was  no  one  with  whom 
I  could  freely  converse;  no  one  to  whom  I  could  com 
municate  my  thoughts,  no  one  who  could  sympathize 
with  my  sufferings.  A  thousand  times  I  thought  how 
much  more  endurable  would  have  been  my  lot  had  Toby 
still  been  with  me.  But  I  was  left  alone,  and  the  thought 
was  terrible  to  me.  Still,  despite  my  griefs,  I  did  all  in 
my  power  to  appear  composed  and  cheerful,  well  know 
ing  that  by  manifesting  any  uneasiness,  or  any  desire 
to  escape,  I  should  only  frustrate  my  object. 

It  was  during  the  period  I  was  in  this  unhappy  frame 
of  mind  that  the  painful  malady  under  which  I  had 

304 


A    FRIGHTFUL    DISCOVERY  305 

been  labouring  —  after  having  almost  completely  sub 
sided  —  began  again  to  show  itself,  and  with  symptoms 
as  violent  as  ever.  This  added  calamity  nearly  un 
manned  me;  the  recurrence  of  the  complaint  proved 
that  without  powerful  remedial  applications  all  hope  of 
cure  was  futile;  and  when  I  reflected  that  just  beyond 
the  elevations  which  bound  me  in  was  the  medical 
relief  I  needed,  and  that,  although  so  near,  it  was  im 
possible  for  me  to  avail  myself  of  it,  the  thought  was 
misery. 

In  this  wretched  situation,  every  circumstance  which 
evinced  the  savage  nature  of  the  beings  at  whose  mercy 
I  was  augmented  the  fearful  apprehensions  that  con 
sumed  me.  An  occurrence  which  happened  about  this 
time  affected  me  most  powerfully. 

I  have  already  mentioned  that  from  the  ridge-pole  of 
Marheyo's  house  were  suspended  a  number  of  packages 
enveloped  in  tappa.  Many  of  these  I  had  often  seen  in 
the  hands  of  the  natives,  and  their  contents  had  been 
examined  in  my  presence.  But  there  were  three  pack 
ages  hanging  very  nearly  over  the  place  where  I  lay 
which  from  their  remarkable  appearance  had  often  ex 
cited  my  curiosity.  Several  times  I  had  asked  Kory- 
Kory  to  show  me  their  contents;  but  my  servitor,  who 
in  almost  every  other  particular  had  acceeded  to  my 
wishes,  always  refused  to  gratify  me  in  this. 

One  day,  returning  unexpectedly  from  the  Ti,  my 
arrival  seemed  to  throw  the  inmates  of  the  house  into 
the  greatest  confusion.  They  were  seated  together  on 
the  mats,  and  by  the  lines  which  extended  from  the 
roof  to  the  floor  I  immediately  perceived  that  the  mys 
terious  packages  were  for  some  purpose  or  other  under 
inspection.  The  evident  alarm  the  savages  betrayed 
filled  me  with  forebodings  of  evil  and  with  an  uncon- 


306  TYPEE 

trollable  desire  to  penetrate  the  secret  so  jealously 
guarded.  Despite  the  efforts  of  Marheyo  and  Kory- 
Kory  to  restrain  me,  I  forced  my  way  into  the  midst  of 
the  circle,  and  just  caught  a  glimpse  of  three  human 
heads,  which  others  of  the  party  were  hurriedly  envel 
oping  in  the  coverings  from  which  they  had  been  taken. 

One  of  the  three  I  distinctly  saw.  It  was  in  a  state 
of  perfect  preservation,  and,  from  the  slight  glimpse 
I  had  of  it,  seemed  to  have  been  subjected  to  some 
smoking  operation  which  had  reduced  it  to  the  dry, 
hard,  and  mummy-like  appearance  it  presented.  The 
two  long  scalp-locks  were  twisted  up  into  balls  upon  the 
crown  of  the  head  in  the  same  way  that  the  individual 
had  worn  them  during  life.  The  sunken  cheeks  were 
rendered  yet  more  ghastly  by  the  rows  of  glistening 
teeth  which  protruded  from  between  the  lips,  while  the 
sockets  of  the  eyes  —  filled  with  oval  bits  of  mother-of- 
pearl  shell,  with  a  black  spot  in  the  centre  —  heightened 
the  hideousness  of  its  aspect. 

Two  of  the  three  were  heads  of  the  islanders;  but 
the  third,  to  my  horror,  was  that  of  a  white  man.  Al 
though  it  had  been  quickly  removed  from  my  sight, 
still  the  glimpse  I  had  of  it  was  enough  to  convince  me 
that  I  could  not  be  mistaken. 

Gracious  God!  what  dreadful  thoughts  entered  my 
mind!  In  solving  this  mystery  perhaps  I  had  solved 
another,  and  the  fate  of  my  lost  companion  might  be 
revealed  in  the  shocking  spectacle  I  had  just  witnessed. 
I  longed  to  have  torn  off  the  folds  of  cloth  and  satis 
fied  the  awful  doubts  under  which  I  laboured.  But 
before  I  had  recovered  from  the  consternation  into  which 
I  had  been  thrown,  the  fatal  packages  were  hoisted  aloft 
and  once  more  swung  over  my  head.  The  natives  now 
gathered  round  me  tumultuously,  and  laboured  to  con- 


A    FRIGHTFUL    DISCOVERY  307 

vince  me  that. what  I  had  just  seen  were  the  heads  of 
three  Happar  warriors  who  had  been  slain  in  battle.  This 
glaring  falsehood  added  to  my  alarm,  and  it  was  not  until 
I  reflected  that  I  had  observed  the  packages  swinging 
from  their  elevation  before  Toby's  disappearance  that  I 
could  at  all  recover  my  composure. 

But  although  this  horrible  apprehension  had  been  dis 
pelled,  I  had  discovered  enough  to  fill  me,  in  my  present 
state  of  mind,  with  the  most  bitter  reflections.  It 
was  plain  that  I  had  seen  the  last  relic  of  some  unfor 
tunate  wretch  who  must  have  been  massacred  on  the 
beach  by  the  savages  in  one  of  those  perilous  trading 
adventures  which  I  have  before  described. 

It  was  not,  however,  alone  the  murder  of  the  stranger 
that  overcame  me  with  gloom.  I  shuddered  at  the  idea 
of  the  subsequent  fate  his  inanimate  body  might  have 
met  with.  Was  the  same  doom  reserved  for  me?  Was 
I  destined  to  perish  like  him  —  like  him,  perhaps,  to  be 
devoured,  and  my  head  to  be  preserved  as  a  fearful 
memento  of  the  event?  My  imagination  ran  riot  in 
these  horrid  speculations,  and  I  felt  certain  that  the 
worst  possible  evils  would  befall  me.  But  whatever 
were  my  misgivings,  I  studiously  concealed  them  from 
the  islanders,  as  well  as  the  full  extent  of  the  discovery 
I  had  made. 

Although  the  assurances  which  the  Typees  had  often 
given  me,  that  they  never  eat  human  flesh,  had  not  con 
vinced  me  that  such  was  the  case,  yet,  having  been  so 
long  a  time  in  the  valley  without  witnessing  anything 
which  indicated  the  existence  of  the  practice,  I  began 
to  hope  that  it  was  an  event  of  very  rare  occurrence, 
and  that  I  should  be  spared  the  horror  of  witnessing  it 
during  my  stay  among  them;  but,  alas!  these  hopes 
were  soon  destroyed. 


308  TYPEE 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  in  all  our  accounts  of  can 
nibal  tribes  we  have  seldom  received  the  testimony  of 
an  eye-witness  to  the  revolting  practice.  The  horrible 
conclusion  has  almost  always  been  derived  either  from 
the  second-hand  evidence  of  Europeans,  or  else  from  the 
admissions  of  the  savages  themselves,  after  they  have  in 
some  degree  become  civilized.  The  Polynesians  are 
aware  of  the  detestation  in  which  Europeans  hold  this 
custom,  and  therefore  invariably  deny  its  existence  and, 
with  the  craft  peculiar  to  savages,  endeavour  to  conceal 
every  trace  of  it. 

The  excessive  unwillingness  betrayed  by  the  Sand 
wich  Islanders,  even  at  the  present  day,  to  allude  to  the 
unhappy  fate  of  Cook  has  been  often  remarked.  And 
so  well  have  they  succeeded  in  covering  that  event  with 
mystery  that  to  this  very  hour,  despite  all  that  has  been 
said  and  written  on  the  subject,  it  still  remains  doubtful 
whether  they  wreaked  upon  his  murdered  body  the  ven 
geance  they  sometimes  inflicted  upon  their  enemies. 

At  Kealakekau,  the  scene  of  that  tragedy,  a  strip  of 
ship's  copper  nailed  against  an  upright  post  in  the 
ground  used  to  inform  the  traveller  that  beneath  re 
posed  the  "remains"  of  the  great  circumnavigator.  But 
I  am  strongly  inclined  to  believe  not  only  that  the 
corpse  was  refused  Christian  burial,  but  that  the  heart 
which  was  brought  to  Vancouver  some  time  after  the 
event,  and  which  the  Hawaiians  stoutly  maintained  was 
that  of  Captain  Cook,  was  no  such  thing,  and  that  the 
whole  affair  was  a  piece  of  imposture  which  was  sought 
to  be  palmed  off  upon  the  credulous  Englishman. 

A  few  years  since  there  was  living  on  the  island  of 
Maui  (one  of  the  Sandwich  group)  an  old  chief,  who, 
actuated  by  a  morbid  desire  for  notoriety,  gave  himself 
out  among  the  foreign  residents  of  the  place  as  the  liv- 


A    FRIGHTFUL    DISCOVERY  309 

ing  tomb  of  Captain  Cook's  big  toe!  — affirming  that  at 
the  cannibal  entertainment  which  ensued  after  the  la 
mented  Briton's  death,  that  particular  portion  of  his  body 
had  fallen  to  his  share.  His  indignant  countrymen  actually 
caused  him  to  be  prosecuted  in  the  native  courts,  on  a 
charge  nearly  equivalent  to  what  we  term  defamation 
of  character;  but  the  old  fellow  persisting  in  his  asser 
tion,  and  no  invalidating  proof  being  adduced,  the  plain 
tiffs  were  cast  in  the  suit  and  the  cannibal  reputation  of 
the  defendant  fully  established.  This  result  was  the 
making  of  his  fortune;  ever  afterwards  he  was  in  the 
habit  of  giving  very  profitable  audiences  to  all  curious 
travellers  who  were  desirous  of  beholding  the  man  who 
had  eaten  the  great  navigator's  great  toe. 

About  a  week  after  my  discovery  of  the  contents  of 
the  mysterious  packages  I  happened  to  be  at  the  Ti 
when  another  war-alarm  was  sounded,  and  the  natives, 
rushing  to  their  arms,  sallied  out  to  resist  a  second  in 
cursion  of  the  Happar  invaders.  The  same  scene  was 
again  repeated,  only  that  on  this  occasion  I  heard  at 
least  fifteen  reports  of  muskets  from  the  mountains  dur 
ing  the  time  that  the  skirmish  lasted.  An  hour  or  two 
after  its  termination,  loud  paeans  chanted  through  the 
valley  announced  the  approach  of  visitors.  I  stood 
with  Kory-Kory  leaning  against  the  railing  of  the  pi-pi 
awaiting  their  advance,  when  a  tumultuous  crowd  of 
islanders  emerged  with  wild  clamours  from  the  neigh 
bouring  groves.  In  the  midst  of  them  marched  four 
men,  one  preceding  the  other  at  regular  intervals  of 
eight  or  ten  feet,  with  poles  of  a  corresponding  length 
extended  from  shoulder  to  shoulder,  to  which  were 
lashed  with  thongs  of  bark  three  long  narrow  bundles, 
carefully  wrapped  in  ample  coverings  of  freshly  plucked 
palm-leaves  tacked  together  with  slivers  of  bamboo, 


310  TYPEE 

Here  and  there  upon  these  green  winding-sheets  might 
be  seen  the  stains  of  blood,  while  the  warriors  who  car 
ried  the  frightful  burdens  displayed  upon  their  naked 
limbs  similar  sanguinary  marks.  The  shaven  head  of 
the  foremost  had  a  deep  gash  upon  it,  and  the  clotted 
gore  which  had  flowed  from  the  wound  remained  in  dry 
patches  around  it.  This  savage  seemed  to  be  sinking 
under  the  weight  he  bore.  The  bright  tattooing  upon 
his  body  was  covered  with  blood  and  dust;  his  inflamed 
eyes  rolled  in  their  sockets,  and  his  whole  appearance 
denoted  extraordinary  suffering  and  exertion;  yet,  sus 
tained  by  some  powerful  impulse,  he  continued  to  ad 
vance,  while  the  throng  around  him  with  wild  cheers 
sought  to  encourage  him.  The  other  three  men  were 
marked  about  the  arms  and  breasts  with  several  slight 
wounds,  which  they  somewhat  ostentatiously  displayed. 

These  four  individuals,  having  been  the  most  active  in 
the  late  encounter,  claimed  the  honour  of  bearing  the 
bodies  of  their  slain  enemies  to  the  Ti.  Such  was  the 
conclusion  I  drew  from  my  own  observations,  and,  as  far 
as  I  could  understand,  from  the  explanation  which 
Kory-Kory  gave  me. 

The  royal  Mehevi  walked  by  the  side  of  these  heroes. 
He  carried  in  one  hand  a  musket,  from  the  barrel  of 
which  was  suspended  a  small  canvas  pouch  of  powder, 
and  in  the  other  he  grasped  a  short  javelin,  which  he 
held  before  him  and  regarded  with  fierce  exultation. 
This  javelin  he  had  wrested  from  a  celebrated  champion 
of  the  Happars,  who  had  ignominiously  fled  and  was 
pursued  by  his  foe  beyond  the  summit  of  the  mountain. 

When  within  a  short  distance  of  the  Ti,  the  warrior 
with  the  wounded  head,  who  proved  to  be  Narmonee, 
tottered  forward  two  or  three  steps  and  fell  helplessly 
to  the  ground,  but  not  before  another  had  caught  the 


A    FRIGHTFUL    DISCOVERY  311 

end  of  the  pole  from  his  shoulder  and  placed  it  upon 
his  own. 

The  excited  throng  of  islanders  who  surrounded  the 
person  of  the  king  and  the  dead  bodies  of  the  enemy 
approached  the  spot  where  I  stood,  brandishing  their 
rude  implements  of  warfare,  many  of  which  were  bruised 
and  broken,  and  uttering  continual  shouts  of  triumph. 
When  the  crowd  drew  up  opposite  the  Ti,  I  set  myself 
to  watch  their  proceedings  most  attentively ;  but  scarcely 
had  they  halted  when  my  servitor,  who  had  left  my  side 
for  an  instant,  touched  my  arm  and  proposed  our  re 
turning  to  Marheyo's  house.  To  this  I  objected;  but, 
to  my  surprise,  Kory-Kory  reiterated  his  request,  and 
with  an  unusual  vehemence  of  manner.  Still,  however, 
I  refused  to  comply,  and  was  retreating  before  him,  as  in 
his  importunity  he  pressed  upon  me,  when  I  felt  a  heavy 
hand  laid  upon  my  shoulder,  and  turning  round,  en 
countered  the  bulky  form  of  Mow-Mow,  a  one-eyed 
chief,  who  had  just  detached  himself  from  the  crowd  be 
low  and  had  mounted  the  rear  of  the  pi-pi  upon  which 
we  stood.  His  cheek  had  been  pierced  by  the  point  of  a 
spear,  and  the  wound  imparted  a  still  more  frightful  ex 
pression  to  his  hideously  tattooed  face,  already  deformed 
by  the  loss  of  an  eye.  The  warrior,  without  uttering  a 
syllable,  pointed  fiercely  in  the  direction  of  Marheyo's 
house,  while  Kory-Kory,  at  the  same  time  presenting 
his  back,  desired  me  to  mount. 

I  declined  this  offer,  but  intimated  my  willingness  to 
withdraw,  and  moved  slowly  along  the  piazza,  wonder 
ing  what  could  be  the  cause  of  this  unusual  treatment. 
A  few  minutes'  consideration  convinced  me  that  the 
savages  were  about  to  celebrate  some  hideous  rite  in 
connection  with  their  peculiar  customs,  at  which  they 
were  determined  I  should  not  be  present.  I  descended 


312  TYPEE 

from  the  pi-pi,  and  attended  by  Kory-Kory,  who  on  this 
occasion  did  not  show  his  usual  commiseration  for  my 
lameness,  but  seemed  only  anxious  to  hurry  me  on, 
walked  away  from  the  place.  As  I  passed  through  the 
noisy  throng,  which  by  this  time  completely  environed 
the  Ti,  I  looked  with  fearful  curiosity  at  the  three  pack 
ages,  which  were  now  deposited  upon  the  ground;  but 
although  I  had  no  doubt  as  to  their  contents,  still  their 
thick  coverings  prevented  my  actually  detecting  the 
form  of  a  human  body. 

The  next  morning,  shortly  after  sunrise,  the  same 
thundering  sounds  which  had  awakened  me  from  sleep 
on  the  second  day  of  the  Feast  of  Calabashes  assured 
me  that  the  savages  were  on  the  eve  of  celebrating  an 
other,  and,  as  I  fully  believed,  a  horrible  solemnity. 

All  the  inmates  of  the  house,  with  the  exception  of 
Marheyo,  his  son,  and  Tinor,  after  assuming  their  gala 
dresses,  departed  in  the  direction  of  the  Taboo  Groves. 

Although  I  did  not  anticipate  a  compliance  with  my 
request,  still,  with  a  view  of  testing  the  truth  of  my 
suspicions,  I  proposed  to  Kory-Kory  that,  according  to 
our  usual  custom  in  the  morning,  we  should  take  a  stroll 
to  the  Ti.  He  positively  refused;  and  when  I  renewed 
the  request,  he  evinced  his  determination  to  prevent  my 
going  there;  and,  to  divert  my  mind  from  the  subject, 
he  offered  to  accompany  me  to  the  stream.  We  accord 
ingly  went  and  bathed.  On  our  coming  back  to  the 
house,  I  was  surprised  to  find  that  all  its  inmates  had 
returned,  and  were  lounging  upon  the  mats  as  usual, 
although  the  drums  still  sounded  from  the  groves. 

The  rest  of  the  day  I  spent  with  Kory-Kory  and 
Fayaway,  wandering  -about  a  part  of  the  valley  situated 
in  an  opposite  direction  from  the  Ti;  and  whenever  I 
so  much  as  looked  towards  that  building,  although  it 


A    FRIGHTFUL    DISCOVERY  313 

was  hidden  from  view  by  intervening  trees,  and  at  the 
distance  of  more  than  a  mile,  my  attendant  would  ex 
claim,  "Taboo,  taboo!" 

At  the  various  houses  where  we  stopped,  I  found 
many  of  the  inhabitants  reclining  at  their  ease,  or  pur 
suing  some  light  occupation,  as  if  nothing  unusual  were 
going  forward;  but  amongst  them  all  I  did  not  perceive 
a  single  chief  or  warrior.  When  I  asked  several  of  the 
people  why  they  were  not  at  the  "hoolah  hoolah"  (the 
feast),  they  uniformly  answered  the  question  in  a  man 
ner  which  implied  that  it  was  not  intended  for  them, 
but  for  Mehevi,  Narmonee,  Mow-Mow,  Kolor,  Womo- 
noo,  Kalow  —  running  over,  in  their  desire  to  make  me 
comprehend  their  meaning,  the  names  of  all  the  princi 
pal  chiefs. 

Everything,  in  short,  strengthened  my  suspicions  with 
regard  to  the  nature  of  the  festival  they  were  now  cele 
brating,  and  which  amounted  almost  to  a  certainty. 
While  in  Nukuheva  I  had  frequently  been  informed  that 
the  whole  tribe  were  never  present  at  these  cannibal 
banquets,  but  the  chiefs  and  priests  only,  and  everything 
I  now  observed  agreed  with  the  account. 

The  sound  of  the  drums  continued,  without  inter 
mission,  the  whole  day,  and  falling  continually  upon 
my  ear,  caused  me  a  sensation  of  horror  which  I  am 
unable  to  describe.  On  the  following  day,  hearing  none 
of  those  noisy  indications  of  revelry,  I  concluded  that 
the  inhuman  feast  was  terminated;  and  feeling  a  kind 
of  morbid  curiosity  to  discover  whether  the  Ti  might 
furnish  any  evidence  of  what  had  taken  place  there,  I 
proposed  to  Kory-Kory  to  walk  there.  To  this  proposi 
tion  he  replied  by  pointing  with  his  finger  to  the  newly 
risen  sun,  and  then  up  to  the  zenith,  intimating  that 
our  visit  must  be  deferred  until  noon.  Shortly  after 


3i4  TYPEE 

that  hour  we  accordingly  proceeded  to  the  Taboo  Groves, 
and  as  soon  as  we  entered  their  precincts,  I  looked  fear 
fully  round  in  quest  of  some  memorial  of  the  scenes  which 
had  so  lately  been  acted  there;  but  everything  appeared 
as  usual.  On  reaching  the  Ti  we  found  Mehevi  and  a 
few  chiefs  reclining  on  the  mats,  who  gave  me  as  friendly 
a  reception  as  ever.  No  allusions  of  any  kind  were 
made  by  them  to  the  recent  events;  and  I  refrained>  for 
obvious  reasons,  from  referring  to  them  myself. 

After  staying  a  short  time  I  took  my  leave.  In  pass 
ing  along  the  piazza,  previously  to  descending  from  the 
pi-pi,  I  observed  a  curiously  carved  vessel  of  wood,  of 
considerable  size,  with  a  cover  placed  over  it,  of  the 
same  material,  and  which  resembled  in  shape  a  small 
canoe.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  low  railing  of  bamboos, 
the  top  of  which  was  scarcely  a  foot  from  the  ground. 
As  the  vessel  had  been  placed  in  its  present  position 
since  my  last  visit,  I  at  once  concluded  that  it  must 
have  some  connection  with  the  recent  festival;  and, 
prompted  by  a  curiosity  I  could  not  repress,  in  passing 
it  I  raised  one  end  of  the  cover;  at  the  same  moment 
the  chiefs,  perceiving  my  design,  loudly  ejaculated, 
"Taboo!  taboo!"  But  the  slight  glimpse  sufficed;  my 
eyes  fell  upon  the  disordered  members  of  a  human  skele 
ton,  the  bones  still  fresh  with  moisture,  and  with  parti 
cles  of  flesh  clinging  to  them  here  and  there! 

Kory-Kory,  who  had  been  a  little  in  advance  of  me, 
attracted  by  the  exclamations  of  the  chiefs,  turned  round 
in  time  to  witness  the  expression  of  horror  on  my  coun 
tenance.  He  now  hurried  towards  me,  pointing  at  the 
same  time  to  the  canoe,  and  exclaiming  rapidly, 
"Puarkee!  puarkee!"  (Pig,  pig).  I  pretended  to  yield 
to  the  deception,  and  repeated  the  words  after  him  sev 
eral  times,  as  though  acquiescing  in  what  he  said.  The 


A    FRIGHTFUL    DISCOVERY  315 

other  savages,  either  deceived  by  my  conduct  or  unwill 
ing  to  manifest  their  displeasure  at  what  could  not  now 
be  remedied,  took  no  further  notice  of  the  occurence, 
and  I  immediately  left  the  Ti. 

All  that  night  I  lay  awake,  revolving  in  my  mind  the 
fearful  situation  in  which  I  was  placed.  The  last  hor 
rid  revelation  had  now  been  made,  and  the  full  sense 
of  my  condition  rushed  upon  my  mind  with  a  force  I 
had  never  before  experienced. 

Where,  thought  I,  desponding,  is  there  the  slightest 
prospect  of  escape?  The  only  person  who  seemed  to 
possess  the  ability  to  assist  me  was  the  stranger  Marnoo ; 
but  would  he  ever  return  to  the  valley?  and  if  he  did, 
should  I  be  permitted  to  hold  any  communication  with 
him?  It  seemed  as  if  I  were  cut  off  from  every  source 
of  hope,  and  that  nothing  remained  but  passively  to 
await  whatever  fate  was  in  store  for  me.  A  thousand 
times  I  endeavoured  to  account  for  the  mysterious  con 
duct  of  the  natives.  For  what  conceivable  purpose  did 
they  thus  retain  me  a  captive?  What  could  be  their 
object  in  treating  me  with  such  apparent  kindness,  and 
did  it  not  cover  some  treacherous  scheme?  Or,  if  they 
had  no  other  design  than  to  hold  me  a  prisoner,  how 
should  I  be  able  to  pass  away  my  days  in  this  narrow 
valley,  deprived  of  all  intercourse  with  civilised  beings, 
and  forever  separated  from  friends  and  home? 

Only  one  hope  remained  to  me.  The  French  could  not 
long  defer  a  visit  to  the  bay;  and  if  they  should  per 
manently  locate  any  of  their  troops  in  the  valley,  the 
savages  could  not  for  any  length  of  time  conceal  my 
existence  from  them.  But  what  reason  had  I  to  suppose 
that  I  should  be  spared  until  such  an  event  occurred  — 
an  event  which  might  be  postponed  by  a  hundred  differ 
ent  contingencies? 


CHAPTER  XXXII 
MARNOO    RETURNS 

"MARNOO,  Marnoo  pemi!"  Such  were  the  welcome 
sounds  which  fell  upon  my  ear  some  ten  days  after  the 
events  related  in  the  preceding  chapter.  Once  more 
the  approach  of  the  stranger  was  heralded,  and  the  in 
telligence  operated  upon  me  like  magic.  Again  I  should 
be  able  to  converse  with  him  in  my  own  language;  and 
I  resolved  at  all  hazards  to  concert  with  him  some  scheme, 
however  desperate,  to  rescue  me  from  a  condition  that 
had  now  become  insupportable. 

As  he  drew  near,  I  remembered  with  many  misgivings 
the  inauspicious  termination  of  our  former  interview; 
and  when  he  entered  the  house,  I  watched  with  intense 
anxiety  the  reception  he  met  with  from  its  inmates. 
To  my  joy,  his  appearance  was  hailed  with  the  liveliest 
pleasure;  and  accosting  me  kindly,  he  seated  himself 
by  my  side  and  entered  into  conversation  with  the  na 
tives  around  him.  It  soon  appeared,  however,  that  on 
this  occasion  he  had  not  any  intelligence  of  impor 
tance  to  communicate.  I  inquired  of  him  from  whence 
he  had  last  come?  He  replied  from  Pueearka,  his 
native  valley,  and  that  he  intended  to  return  to  it  the 
same  day. 

At  once  it  struck  me  that,  could  I  but  reach  that 
valley  under  his  protection,  I  might  easily  from  thence 
reach  Nukuheva  by  water;  and  animated  by  the  pros 
pect  which  this  plan  held  out,  I  disclosed  it  in  a  few 

316 


MARNOO    RETURNS  317 

brief  words  to  the  stranger,  and  asked  him  how  it  could 
be  best  accomplished.  My  heart  sank  within  me  when 
in  his  broken  English  he  answered  me  that  it  could  never 
be  effected.  "Kanaka  no  let  you  go  no  where,"  he 
said;  "you  taboo.  Why  you  no  like  to  stay?  Plenty 
moee-moee  (sleep) — plenty  ki-ki  (eat) — Oh,  very 
good  place  Typee!  Suppose  you  no  like  this  bay,  why 
you  come?  You  no  hear  about  Typee?  All  white  men 
afraid  Typee,  so  no  white  men  come." 

These  words  distressed  me  beyond  belief;  and  when 
I  again  related  to  him  the  circumstances  under  which 
I  had  descended  into  the  valley,  and  sought  to  enlist  his 
sympathies  in  my  behalf  by  appealing  to  the  bodily 
misery  I  endured,  he  listened  to  me  with  impatience, 
and  cut  me  short  by  exclaiming  passionately,  "Me  no 
hear  you  talk  any  more;  by  by  Kanaka  get  mad,  kill 
you  and  me  too.  No  you  see  he  no  want  you  to  speak 
to  me  at  all? — you  see  —  ah!  by  by  you  no  mind  — 
you  get  well,  he  kill  you,  eat  you,  hang  you  head  up 
there,  like  Happar  Kanaka.  —  Now  you  listen  —  but  no 
talk  any  more.  By  by  I  go ;  —  you  see  way  I  go. — 
Ah!  then  some  night  Kanaka  all  moee-moee  (sleep)  — 
you  run  away,  you  come  Pueearka.  I  speak  Pueearka 
Kanaka  —  he  no  harm  you  —  ah!  then  I  take  you  my 
canoe  Nukuheva  —  and  you  no  run  away  ship  no  more." 
With  these  words,  enforced  by  a  vehemence  of  gesture 
I  cannot  describe,  Marnoo  started  from  my  side,  and 
immediately  engaged  in  conversation  with  some  of  the 
chiefs  who  had  entered  the  house. 

It  would  have  been  idle  for  me  to  have  attempted 
resuming  the  interview  so  peremptorily  terminated  by 
Marnoo,  who  was  evidently  little  disposed  to  compro 
mise  his  own  safety  by  any  rash  endeavours  to  ensure 
mine.  But  the  plan  he  had  suggested  struck  me  as 


3i8  TYPEE 

one  which  might  possibly  be  accomplished,  and  I  re 
solved  to  act  upon  it  as  speedily  as  possible. 

Accordingly,  when  he  rose  to  depart,  I  accompanied 
him  with  the  natives  outside  of  the  house,  with  a  view 
of  carefully  noting  the  path  he  would  take  in  leaving 
the  valley.  Just  before  leaping  from  the  pi-pi  he  clasped 
my  hand,  and  looking  significantly  at  me,  exclaimed, 
"Now  you  see  —  you  do  what  I  tell  you  —  ah!  then 
you  do  good; — you  no  do  so  —  ah!  then  you  die." 
The  next  moment  he  waved  his  spear  in  adieu  to  the 
islanders,  and  following  the  route  that  conducted  to  a 
defile  in  the  mountains  lying  opposite  the  Happar  side, 
was  soon  out  of  sight. 

A  mode  of  escape  was  now  presented  to  me,  but 
how  was  I  to  avail  myself  of  it?  I  was  continually 
surrounded  by  the  savages;  I  could  not  stir  from  one 
house  to  another  without  being  attended  by  some  of 
them;  and  even  during  the  hours  devoted  to  slumber 
the  slightest  movement  which  I  made  seemed  to  attract 
the  notice  of  those  who  shared  the  mats  with  me.  In 
spite  of  these  obstacles,  however,  I  determined  forth 
with  to  make  the  attempt.  To  do  so  with  any  pros 
pect  of  success,  it  was  necessary  that  I  should  have  at 
least  two  hours'  start  before  the  islanders  should  dis 
cover  my  absence;  for  with  such  facility  was  any  alarm 
spread  through  the  valley,  and  so  familiar,  of  course, 
were  the  inhabitants  with  the  intricacies  of  the  groves 
that  I  could  not  hope,  lame  and  feeble  as  I  was,  and 
ignorant  of  the  route,  to  secure  my  escape  unless  I  had 
this  advantage.  It  was  also  by  night  alone  that  I  could 
hope  to  accomplish  my  object,  and  then  only  by  adopt 
ing  the  utmost  precaution. 

The  entrance  to  Marheyo's  habitation  was  through  a 
low  narrow  opening  in  its  wicker-work  front.  This 


MARNOO    RETURNS  319 

passage,  for  no  conceivable  reason  that  I  could  devise, 
was  always  closed  after  the  household  had  retired  to 
rest,  by  drawing  a  heavy  slide  across  it,  composed  of  a 
dozen  or  more  bits  of  wood  ingeniously  fastened  to 
gether  by  seizings  of  sinnate.  When  any  of  the  in 
mates  chose  to  go  outside,  the  noise  occasioned  by  the 
removing  of  this  rude  door  awakened  everybody  else; 
and  on  more  than  one  occasion  I  had  remarked  that  the 
islanders  were  nearly  as  irritable  as  more  civilised  beings 
under  similar  circumstances. 

The  difficulty  thus  placed  in  my  way  I  determined  to 
obviate  in  the  following  manner.  I  would  get  up  boldly 
in  the  course  of  the  night,  and  drawing  the  slide,  issue 
from  the  house,  and  pretend  that  my  object  was  merely 
to  procure  a  drink  from  the  calabash  which  always 
stood  without  the  dwelling  on  the  corner  of  the  pi-pi.  On 
re-entering  I  would  purposely  omit  closing  the  passage 
after  me,  and,  trusting  that  the  indolence  of  the  savages 
would  prevent  them  from  repairing  my  neglect,  would 
return  to  my  mat,  and  waiting  patiently  until  all  were 
again  asleep,  I  would  then  steal  forth,  and  at  once  take 
the  route  to  Pueearka. 

The  very  night  which  followed  Marnoo's  departure,  I 
proceeded  to  put  this  project  into  execution.  About 
midnight,  as  I  imagined,  I  rose  and  drew  the  slide.  The 
natives,  just  as  I  had  expected,  started  up,  while  some 
of  them  asked,  "Arware  poo  awa,  Tommo?"  (where  are 
you  going,  Tommo?)  "Wai"  (water)  I  laconically  an 
swered,  grasping  the  calabash.  On  hearing  my  reply 
they  sank  back  again,  and  in  a  minute  or  two  I  returned 
to  my  mat,  anxiously  awaiting  the  result  of  the  experi 
ment. 

One  after  another  the  savages,  turning  restlessly,  ap 
peared  to  resume  their  slumbers,  and  rejoicing  at  the 


TYPEE 

stillness  which  prevailed,  I  was  about  to  rise  again  from 
my  couch,  when  I  heard  a  slight  rustling  —  a  dark  form 
was  intercepted  between  me  and  the  doorway  —  the 
slide  was  drawn  across  it,  and  the  individual,  whoever 
he  was,  returned  to  his  mat.  This  was  a  sad  blow  to 
me;  but  as  it  might  have  roused  the  suspicions  of  the 
islanders  to  have  made  another  attempt  that  night,  I 
was  reluctantly  obliged  to  defer  it  until  the  next.  Sev 
eral  times  after  I  repeated  the  same  manoeuvre,  but  with 
as  little  success  as  before.  As  my  pretence  for  with 
drawing  from  the  house  was  to  allay  my  thirst,  Kory- 
Kory,  either  suspecting  some  design  on  my  part,  or  else 
prompted  by  a  desire  to  please  me,  regularly  every  even 
ing  placed  a  calabash  of  water  by  my  side. 

Even  under  these  inauspicious  circumstances  I  again 
and  again  renewed  the  attempt;  but  when  I  did  so  my 
valet  always  rose  with  me,  as  if  determined  I  should 
not  remove  myself  from  his  observation.  For  the  pres 
ent,  therefore,  I  was  obliged  to  abandon  the  attempt; 
but  I  endeavoured  to  console  myself  with  the  idea  that 
by  this  mode  I  might  yet  effect  my  escape. 

Shortly  after  Marnoo's  visit  I  was  reduced  to  such  a 
state  that  it  was  with  extreme  difficulty  I  could  walk, 
even  with  the  assistance  of  a  spear,  and  Kory-Kory,  as 
formerly,  was  obliged  to  carry  me  daily  to  the  stream. 
For  hours  and  hours  during  the  warmest  part  of  the 
day  I  lay  upon  my  mat,  and  while  those  around  me  were 
nearly  all  dozing  away  in  careless  ease,  I  remained 
awake,  gloomily  pondering  over  the  fate  which  it  ap 
peared  now  idle  for  me  to  resist.  When  I  thought  of  the 
loved  friends  who  were  thousands  and  thousands  of 
miles  from  the  savage  island  in  which  I  was  held  a  cap 
tive,  when  I  reflected  that  my  dreadful  fate  would  for 
ever  be  concealed  from  them,  and  that  with  hope  de- 


MARNOO    RETURNS  321 

ferred  they  might  continue  to  await  my  return  long 
after  my  inanimate  form  had  blended  with  the  dust  of 
the  valley  —  I  could  not  repress  a  shudder  of  anguish. 

How  vividly  is  impressed  upon  my  mind  every  minute 
feature  of  the  scene  which  met  my  view  during  those 
long  days  of  suffering  and  sorrow!  At  my  request  my 
mats  were  always  spread  directly  facing  the  door,  oppo 
site  which,  and  at  a  little  distance,  was  the  hut  of  boughs 
that  Marheyo  was  building. 

Whenever  Kory-Kory,  laying  himself  down  beside  me, 
would  leave  me  a  while  to  uninterrupted  repose,  I  took 
a  strange  interest  in  the  slightest  movements  of  the  eccen 
tric  old  warrior.  All  alone  during  the  stillness  of  the 
tropical  mid-day  he  would  pursue  his  quiet  work,  sitting 
in  the  shade  and  weaving  together  the  leaflets  of  his 
cocoa-nut  branches,  or  rolling  upon  his  knee  the  twisted 
fibres  of  bark  to  form  the  cords  with  which  he  tied  to 
gether  the  thatching  of  his  tiny  house.  Frequently  sus 
pending  his  employment,  and  noticing  my  melancholy  eye 
fixed  upon  him,  he  would  raise  his  hand  with  a  gesture  ex 
pressive  of  deep  commiseration,  and  then  moving  towards 
me  slowly  would  enter  on  tip-toes,  fearful  of  disturbing 
the  slumbering  natives,  and,  taking  the  fan  from  my 
hand,  would  sit  before  me,  swaying  it  gently  to  and  fro, 
and  gazing  earnestly  into  my  face. 

Just  beyond  the  pi-pi,  and  disposed  in  a  triangle  be 
fore  the  entrance  of  the  house,  were  three  magnificent 
bread-fruit  trees.  At  this  moment  I  can  recall  to  my 
mind  their  slender  shafts,  and  the  graceful  inequalities 
of  their  bark,  on  which  my  eye  was  accustomed  to  dwell 
day  after  day  in  the  midst  of  my  solitary  musings.  It 
is  strange  how  inanimate  objects  will  twine  themselves 
into  our  affections,  especially  in  the  hour  of  affliction. 
Even  now,  amidst  all  the  bustle  and  stir  of  the  proud 


322  TYPEE 

and  busy  city  in  which  I  am  dwelling,  the  image  of  those 
three  trees  seems  to  come  as  vividly  before  my  eyes  as  if 
they  were  actually  present,  and  I  still  feel  the  soothing 
quiet  pleasure  which  I  then  had  in  watching  hour  after 
hour  their  topmost  boughs  waving  gracefully  in  the 
breeze. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV 
THE    ESCAPE 

NEARLY  three  weeks  had  elapsed  since  the  second  visit 
of  Marnoo,  and  it  must  have  been  more  than  four  months 
since  I  entered  the  valley,  when  one  day  about  noon, 
and  whilst  everything  was  in  profound  silence,  Mow- 
Mow,  the  one-eyed  chief,  suddenly  appeared  at  the 
door,  and  leaning  forward  towards  me  as  I  lay  directly 
facing  him,  said  in  a  low  tone,  "Toby  pemi  ena"  (Toby 
has  arrived  here).  Gracious  heaven!  What  a  tumult 
of  emotions  rushed  upon  me  at  this  startling  intelli 
gence!  Insensible  to  the  pain  that  had  before  distracted 
me,  I  leaped  to  my  feet  and  called  wildly  to  Kory-Kory, 
who  was  reposing  by  my  side.  The  startled  islanders 
sprang  from  their  mats;  the  news  was  quickly  communi 
cated  to  them;  and  the  next  moment  I  was  making  my 
way  to  the  Ti  on  the  back  of  Kory-Kory,  and  surrounded 
by  the  excited  savages. 

All  that  I  could  comprehend  of  the  particulars  which 
Mow-Mow  rehearsed  to  his  auditors  as  we  proceeded 
was  that  my  long-lost  companion  had  arrived  in  a  boat 
which  had  just  entered  the  bay.  These  tidings  made 
me  most  anxious  to  be  carried  at  once  to  the  sea,  lest 
some  untoward  circumstance  should  prevent  our  meet 
ing;  but  to  this  they  would  not  consent,  and  continued 
their  course  towards  the  royal  abode.  As  we  approached 
it,  Mehevi  and  several  chiefs  showed  themselves  from 
the  piazza  and  called  upon  us  loudly  to  come  to  them. 

323 


324  TYPEE 

As  soon  as  we  had  approached,  I  endeavoured  to  make 
them  understand  that  I  was  going  down  to  the  sea  to 
meet  Toby.  To  this  the  king  objected,  and  motioned 
Kory-Kory  to  bring  me  into  the  house.  It  was  in  vain 
to  resist,  and  in  a  few  moments  I  found  myself  within 
the  Ti,  surrounded  by  a  noisy  group  engaged  in  discussing 
the  recent  intelligence.  Toby's  name  was  frequently  re 
peated,  coupled  with  violent  exclamations  of  astonish 
ment.  It  seemed  as  if  they  yet  remained  in  doubt  with 
regard  to  the  fact  of  his  arrival,  and  at  every  fresh  report 
that  was  brought  from  the  shore  they  betrayed  the  live 
liest  emotions. 

Almost  frenzied  at  being  held  in  this  state  of  sus 
pense,  I  passionately  besought  Mehevi  to  permit  me  to 
proceed.  Whether  my  companion  had  arrived  or  not, 
I  felt  a  presentiment  that  my  fate  was  about  to  be 
decided.  Again  and  again  I  renewed  my  petition  to 
Mehevi.  He  regarded  me  with  a  fixed  and  serious  eye, 
but  at  length  yielding  to  my  importunity,  reluctantly 
granted  my  request. 

Accompanied  by  some  fifty  of  the  natives,  I  now 
rapidly  continued  my  journey,  every  few  moments  being 
transferred  from  the  back  of  one  to  another,  and  urging 
my  bearer  forward  all  the  while  with  earnest  entreaties. 
As  I  thus  hurried  forward,  no  doubt  as  to  the  truth  of 
the  information  I  had  received  ever  crossed  my  mind. 
I  was  alive  only  to  the  one  overwhelming  idea  that  a 
chance  of  deliverance  was  now  afforded  me  if  the  jealous 
opposition  of  the  savages  could  be  overcome. 

Having  been  prohibited  from  approaching  the  sea 
during  the  whole  of  my  stay  in  the  valley,  I  had  always 
associated  with  it  the  idea  of  escape.  Toby  too  —  if 
indeed  he  had  ever  voluntarily  deserted  me  —  must  have 
effected  his  flight  by  the  sea;  and  now  that  I  was  draw- 


THE    ESCAPE  325 

ing  near  to  it  myself,  I  indulged  in  hopes  which  I  had 
never  felt  before.  It  was  evident  that  a  boat  had  en 
tered  the  bay,  and  I  saw  little  reason  to  doubt  the 
truth  of  the  report  that  it  had  brought  my  companion. 
Every  time  therefore  that  we  gained  an  elevation,  I 
looked  eagerly  around,  hoping  to  behold  him. 

In  the  midst  of  an  excited  throng,  who  by  their  violent 
gestures  and  wild  cries  appeared  to  be  under  the  influ 
ence  of  some  excitement  as  strong  as  my  own,  I  was  now 
borne  along  at  a  rapid  trot,  frequently  stooping  my  head 
to  avoid  the  branches  which  crossed  the  path,  and  never 
ceasing  to  implore  those  who  carried  me  to  accelerate 
their  already  swift  pace. 

In  this  manner  we  had  proceeded  about  four  or  five 
miles,  when  we  were  met  by  a  party  of  some  twenty 
islanders,  between  whom  and  those  who  accompanied 
me  ensued  an  animated  conference.  Impatient  of  the 
delay  occasioned  by  this  interruption,  I  was  beseeching 
the  man  who  carried  me  to  proceed  without  his  loiter 
ing  companions,  when  Kory-Kory,  running  to  my  side, 
informed  me,  in  three  fatal  words,  that  the  news  had  all 
proved  false  —  that  Toby  had  not  arrived  —  "Toby 
owle  pemi."  Heaven  only  knows  how,  in  the  state  of 
mind  and  body  I  then  was,  I  ever  sustained  the  agony 
which  this  intelligence  caused  me;  not  that  the  news 
was  altogether  unexpected,  but  I  had  trusted  that  the 
fact  might  not  have  been  made  known  until  we  should 
have  arrived  upon  the  beach.  As  it  was,  I  at  once  fore 
saw  the  course  the  savages  would  pursue.  They  had 
only  yielded  thus  far  to  my  entreaties  that  I  might 
give  a  joyful  welcome  to  my  long-absent  comrade;  but 
now  that  it  was  known  he  had  not  arrived,  they  would 
at  once  oblige  me  to  turn  back. 

My  anticipations  were  but  too  correct.     In  spite  of 


326  TYPEE 

the  resistance  I  made,  they  carried  me  into  a  house 
which  was  near  the  spot,  and  left  me  upon  the  mats. 
Shortly  afterwards  several  of  those  who  had  accompanied 
me  from  the  Ti,  detaching  themselves  from  the  others, 
proceeded  in  the  direction  of  the  sea.  Those  who  re 
mained  —  among  whom  were  Marheyo,  Mow-Mow, 
Kory-Kory,  and  Tinor  —  gathered  about  the  dwelling 
and  appeared  to  be  awaiting  their  return. 

This  convinced  me  that  strangers  —  perhaps  some  of 
my  own  countrymen  —  had  for  some  cause  or  other  en 
tered  the  bay.  Distracted  at  the  idea  of  their  vicinity, 
and  reckless  of  the  pain  which  I  suffered,  I  heeded  not 
the  assurances  of  the  islanders  that  there  were  no  boats 
at  the  beach,  but  starting  to  my  feet  endeavoured  to  gain 
the  door.  Instantly  the  passage  was  blocked  up  by 
several  men,  who  commanded  me  to  resume  my  seat. 
The  fierce  looks  of  the  irritated  savages  admonished  me 
that  I  could  gain  nothing  by  force,  and  that  it  was  by 
entreaty  alone  that  I  could  hope  to  compass  my  object. 

Guided  by  this  consideration,  I  turned  to  Mow-Mow, 
the  only  chief  present  whom  I  had  been  much  in  the 
habit  of  seeing,  and  carefully  concealing  my  real  de 
sign,  tried  to  make  him  comprehend  that  I  still  believed 
Toby  to  have  arrived  on  the  shore,  and  besought  him  to 
allow  me  to  go  forward  to  welcome  him.  To  all  his  re 
peated  assertions  that  my  companion  had  not  been 
seen,  I  pretended  to  turn  a  deaf  ear,  while  I  urged  my 
solicitations  with  an  eloquence  of  gesture  which  the  one- 
eyed  chief  appeared  unable  to  resist.  He  seemed  indeed 
to  regard  me  as  a  froward  child,  to  whose  wishes  he  had 
not  the  heart  to  oppose  force,  and  whom  he  must  conse 
quently  humour.  He  spoke  a  few  words  to  the  natives, 
who  at  once  retreated  from  the  door  and  immediately 
passed  out  of  the  house. 


THE    ESCAPE 


327 


Here  I  looked  earnestly  round  for  Kory-Kory;  but 
that  hitherto  faithful  servitor  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 
Unwilling  to  linger  even  for  a  single  instant  when  every 
moment  might  be  so  important,  I  motioned  to  a  muscular 
fellow  near  me  to  take  me  upon  his  back;  to  my  sur 
prise  he  angrily  refused.  I  turned  to  another,  but  with 
a  like  result.  A  third  attempt  was  as  unsuccessful,  and 
I  immediately  perceived  what  had  induced  Mow-Mow 
to  grant  my  request  and  why  the  other  natives  conducted 
themselves  in  so  strange  a  manner.  It  was  evident  that 
the  chief  had  only  given  me  liberty  to  continue  my 
progress  towards  the  sea  because  he  supposed  that  I  was 
deprived  of  the  means  of  reaching  it. 

Convinced  by  this  of  their  determination  to  retain  me 
a  captive,  I  became  desperate;  and  almost  insensible  to 
the  pain  which  I  suffered,  I  seized  a  spear  which  was 
leaning  against  the  projecting  eaves  of  the  house,  and 
supporting  myself  with  it,  resumed  the  path 'that  swept 
by  the  dwelling.  To  my  surprise  I  was  suffered  to  pro 
ceed  alone,  all  the  natives  remaining  in  front  of  the  house, 
and  engaging  in  earnest  conversation,  which  every  mo 
ment  became  more  loud  and  vehement;  and  to  my  un 
speakable  delight  I  perceived  that  some  difference  of 
opinion  had  arisen  between  them;  that  two  parties,  in 
short,  were  formed,  and  consequently  that  in  their  di 
vided  counsels  there  was  some  chance  of  my  deliverance. 

Before  I  had  proceeded  a  hundred  yards  I  was  again 
surrounded  by  the  savages,  who  were  still  in  all  the 
heat  of  argument,  and  appeared  every  moment  as  if 
they  would  come  to  blows.  In  the  midst  of  this  tu 
mult  old  Marheyo  came  to  my  side,  and  I  shall  never 
forget  the  benevolent  expression  of  his  countenance.  He 
placed  his  arm  upon  my  shoulder,  and  emphatically 
pronounced  the  only  two  English  words  I  had  taught 


328  TYPEE 

him  —  "Home"  and  "Mother."  I  at  once  understood 
what  he  meant,  and  eagerly  expressed  my  thanks  to 
him.  Fayaway  and  Kory-Kory  were  by  his  side,  both 
weeping  violently;  and  it  was  not  until  the  old  man 
had  twice  repeated  the  command  that  his  son  could 
bring  himself  to  obey  him  and  take  me  again  upon  his 
back.  The  one-eyed  chief  opposed  his  doing  so,  but  he 
was  over-ruled,  and,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  by  some  of  his 
own  party. 

We  proceeded  onwards,  and  never  shall  I  forget  the 
ecstasy  I  felt  when  I  first  heard  the  roar  of  the  surf 
breaking  upon  the  beach.  Before  long  I  saw  the  flash 
ing  billows  themselves  through  the  opening  between  the 
trees.  Oh  glorious  sight  and  sound  of  ocean!  with  what 
rapture  did  I  hail  you  as  familiar  friends!  By  this  time 
the  shouts  of  the  crowd  upon  the  beach  were  distinctly 
audible,  and  in  the  blended  confusion  of  sounds  I  almost 
fancied  I  could  distinguish  the  voices  of  my  own  coun 
trymen. 

When  we  reached  the  open  space  which  lay  between 
the  groves  and  the  sea,  the  first  object  that  met  my  view 
was  an  English  whale-boat,  lying  with  her  bow  pointed 
from  the  shore,  and  only  a  few  fathoms  distant  from  it. 
It  was  manned  by  five  islanders,  dressed  in  short  tunics 
of  calico.  My  first  impression  was  that  they  were  in 
the  very  act  of  pulling  out  from  the  bay,  and  that,  after 
all  my  exertions,  I  had  come  too  late.  My  soul  sunk 
within  me;  but  a  second  glance  convinced  me  that  the 
boat  was  only  hanging  off  to  keep  out  of  the  surf;  and 
the  next  moment  I  heard  my  own  name  shouted  out  by 
a  voice  from  the  midst  of  the  crowd. 

Looking  in  the  direction  of  the  sound,  I  perceived, 
to  my  indescribable  joy,  the  tall  figure  of  Karakoee,  an 
Oahu  Kanaka,  who  had  often  been  aboard  the  Dolly 


THE    ESCAPE  329 

while  she  lay  in  Nukuheva.  He  wore  the  green  shooting- 
jacket  with  gilt  buttons  which  had  been  given  to  him 
by  an  officer  of  the  Reine  Blanche  —  the  French  flag 
ship —  and  in  which  I  had  always  seen  him  dressed. 
I  now  remembered  the  Kanaka  had  frequently  told  me 
that  his  person  was  tabooed  in  all  the  valleys  of  the 
island,  and  the  sight  of  him  at  such  a  moment  as  this 
filled  my  heart  with  a  tumult  of  delight. 

Karakoee  stood  near  the  edge  of  the  water  with  a 
large  roll  of  cotton  cloth  thrown  over  one  arm,  and  hold 
ing  two  or  three  canvas  bags  of  powder,  while  with  the 
other  hand  he  grasped  a  musket,  which  he  appeared  to 
be  proffering  to  several  of  the  chiefs  around  him.  But 
they  turned  with  disgust  from  his  offers  and  seemed  to 
be  impatient  at  his  presence,  with  vehement  gestures 
waving  him  off  to  his  boat  and  commanding  him  to 
depart. 

The  Kanaka,  however,  still  maintained  his  ground, 
and  I  at  once  perceived  that  he  was  seeking  to  purchase 
my  freedom.  Animated  by  the  idea,  I  called  upon  him 
loudly  to  come  to  me;  but  he  replied,  in  broken  Eng 
lish,  that  the  islanders  had  threatened  to  pierce  him 
with  their  spears  if  he  stirred  a  foot  towards  me.  At 
this  time  I  was  still  advancing,  surrounded  by  a  dense 
throng  of  the  natives,  several  of  whom  had  their  hands 
upon  me,  and  more  than  one  javelin  was  threateningly 
pointed  at  me.  Still  I  perceived  clearly  that  many  of 
those  least  friendly  towards  me  looked  irresolute  and 
anxious. 

I  was  still  some  thirty  yards  from  Karakoee  when  my 
further  progress  was  prevented  by  the  natives,  who  com 
pelled  me  to  sit  down  upon  the  ground,  while  they 
still  retained  their  hold  upon  my  arms.  The  din  and 
tumult  now  became  tenfold,  and  I  perceived  that  sev- 


330  TYPEE 

eral  of  the  priests  were  on  the  spot,  all  of  whom  were 
evidently  urging  Mow-Mow  and  the  other  chiefs  to 
prevent  my  departure;  and  the  detestable  word  "Roo-ne! 
Roo-ne!"  which  I  had  heard  repeated  a  thousand  times 
during  the  day,  was  now  shouted  out  on  every  side  of 
me.  Still  I  saw  that  the  Kanaka  continued  his  exertions 
in  my  favor  —  that  he  was  boldly  debating  the  matter 
with  the  savages,  and  was  striving  to  entice  them  by  dis 
playing  his  cloth  and  powder  and  snapping  the  lock  of 
his  musket.  But  all  he  said  or  did  appeared  only  to  aug 
ment  the  clamours  of  those  around  him,  who  seemed 
bent  upon  driving  him  into  the  sea. 

When  I  remembered  the  extravagant  value  placed  by 
these  people  upon  the  articles  which  were  offered  to 
them  in  exchange  for  me,  and  which  were  so  indignantly 
rejected,  I  saw  a  new  proof  of  the  same  fixed  determina 
tion  of  purpose  they  had  all  along  manifested  with  re 
gard  to  me,  and  in  despair,  and  reckless  of  consequences, 
I  exerted  all  my  strength,  and  shaking  myself  free  from 
the  grasp  of  those  who  held  me,  I  sprung  upon  my  feet 
and  rushed  toward  Karakoee. 

The  rash  attempt  nearly  decided  my  fate;  for,  fear 
ful  that  I  might  slip  from  them,  several  of  the  islanders 
now  raised  a  simultaneous  shout,  and  pressing  upon 
Karakoee,  they  menaced  him  with  furious  gestures,  and 
actually  forced  him  into  the  sea.  Appalled  at  their 
violence,  the  poor  fellow,  standing  nearly  to  the  waist 
in  the  surf,  endeavoured  to  pacify  them;  but  at  length, 
fearful  that  they  would  do  him  some  fatal  violence,  he 
beckoned  to  his  comrades  to  pull  in  at  once  and  take 
him  into  the  boat. 

It  was  at  this  agonizing  moment,  when  I  thought  all 
hope  was  ended,  that  a  new  contest  arose  between  the 
two  parties  who  had  accompanied  me  to  the  shore ;  blows 


THE    ESCAPE  331 

were  struck,  wounds  were  given,  and  blood  flowed.  In 
the  interest  excited  by  the  fray,  every  one  had  left  me 
except  Marheyo,  Kory-Kory,  and  poor  dear  Fayaway, 
who  clung  to  me,  sobbing  indignantly.  I  saw  that  now  or 
never  was  the  moment.  Clasping  my  hands  together, 
I  looked  imploringly  at  Marheyo,  and  moved  towards 
the  now  almost  deserted  beach.  The  tears  were  in  the 
old  man's  eyes,  but  neither  he  nor  Kory-Kory  attempted 
to  hold  me,  and  I  soon  reached  the  Kanaka,  who  had 
been  anxiously  watching  my  movements;  the  rowers 
pulled  in  as  near  as  they  dared  to  the  edge  of  the  surf; 
I  gave  one  parting  embrace  to  Fayaway,  who  seemed 
speechless  with  sorrow,  and  the  next  instant  I  found 
myself  safe  in  the  boat,  and  Karakoee  by  my  side,  who 
told  the  rowers  at  once  to  give  way.  Marheyo  and 
Kory-Kory,  and  a  great  many  of  the  women,  followed 
me  into  the  water,  and  I  was  determined,  as  the  only 
mark  of  gratitude  I  could  show,  to  give  them  the  articles 
which  had  been  brought  as  my  ransom.  I  handed  the 
musket  to  Kory-Kory,  with  a  rapid  gesture  which  was 
equivalent  to  a  "Deed  of  Gift;"  threw  the  roll  of  cotton 
to  old  Marheyo,  pointing  as  I  did  so  to  poor  Fayaway, 
who  had  retired  from  the  edge  of  the  water  and  was 
sitting  down  disconsolate  on  the  shingles;  and  tum 
bled  the  powder  bags  out  to  the  nearest  young  ladies, 
all  of  whom  were  vastly  willing  to  take  them.  This 
distribution  did  not  occupy  ten  seconds,  and  before  it 
was  over  the  boat  was  under  full  way,  the  Kanaka  all 
the  while  exclaiming  loudly  against  what  he  considered 
a  useless  throwing  away  of  valuable  property. 

Although  it  was  clear  that  my  movements  had  been  no 
ticed  by  several  of  the  natives,  still  they  had  not  sus 
pended  the  conflict  in  which  they  were  engaged,  and  it 
was  not  until  the  boat  was  above  fifty  yards  from  the 


332  TYPEE 

shore  that  Mow-Mow  and  some  six  or  seven  other  war 
riors  rushed  into  the  sea  and  hurled  their  javelins  at  us. 
Some  of  the  weapons  passed  quite  as  close  to  us  as  was 
desirable,  but  no  one  was  wounded,  and  the  men  pulled 
away  gallantly.  But  although  soon  out  of  the  reach  of 
the  spears,  our  progress  was  extremely  slow;  it  blew 
strong  upon  the  shore,  and  the  tide  was  against  us;  and 
I  saw  Karakoee,  who  was  steering  the  boat,  give  many  a 
look  towards  a  jutting  point  of  the  bay  round  which  we 
had  to  pass. 

For  a  minute  or  two  after  our  departure  the  savages, 
who  had  formed  into  different  groups,  remained  perfectly 
motionless  and  silent.  All  at  once  the  enraged  chief 
showed  by  his  gestures  that  he  had  resolved  what  course 
he  would  take.  Shouting  loudly  to  his  companions  and 
pointing  with  his  tomahawk  towards  the  headland,  he  set 
off  at  full  speed  in  that  direction,  and  was  followed  by 
about  thirty  of  the  natives,  among  whom  were  several 
of  the  priests,  all  yelling  out  "Roo-ne!  Roo-ne!"  at  the 
very  top  of  their  voices.  Their  intention  was  evidently 
to  swim  off  from  the  headland  and  interrupt  us  in  our 
course.  The  wind  was  freshening  every  minute,  and 
was  right  in  our  teeth,  and  it  was  one  of  those  chopping 
angry  seas  in  which  it  is  so  difficult  to  row.  Still  the 
chances  seemed  in  our  favour;  but  when  we  came  within 
a  hundred  yards  of  the  point,  the  active  savages  were 
already  dashing  into  the  water,  and  we  all  feared  that 
within  five  minutes'  time  we  should  have  a  score  of  the 
infuriated  wretches  around  us.  If  so,  our  doom  was 
sealed,  for  these  savages,  unlike  the  feeble  swimmers  of 
civilised  countries,  are,  if  anything,  more  formidable  an 
tagonists  in  the  water  than  when  on  the  land.  It  was 
all  a  trial  of  strength;  our  natives  pulled  till  their  oars 
bent  again,  and  the  crowd  of  swimmers  shot  through  the 
water,  despite  its  roughness,  with  fearful  rapidity. 


THE    ESCAPE  333 

By  the  time  we  had  reached  the  headland,  the  savages 
were  spread  right  across  our  course.  Our  rowers  got 
out  their  knives  and  held  them  ready  between  their 
teeth,  and  I  seized  the  boat-hook.  We  were  well  aware 
that  if  they  succeeded  in  intercepting  us  they  would 
practise  upon  us  the  manoeuvre  which  has  proved  so 
fatal  to  many  a  boat's  crew  in  these  seas.  They  would 
grapple  the  oars,  and  seizing  hold  of  the  gunwale,  cap 
size  the  boat,  and  then  we  should  be  entirely  at  their 
mercy. 

After  a  few  breathless  moments  I  discerned  Mow- 
Mow.  The  athletic  islander,  with  his  tomahawk  between 
his  teeth,  was  dashing  the  water  before  him  till  it  foamed 
again.  He  was  the  nearest  to  us,  and  in  another  instant 
he  would  have  seized  one  of  the  oars.  Even  at  the  mo 
ment  I  felt  horror  at  the  act  I  was  about  to  commit; 
but  it  was  no  time  for  pity  or  compunction,  and  with  a 
true  aim,  and  exerting  all  my  strength,  I  dashed  the  boat- 
hook  at  him.  It  struck  him  just  below  the  throat,  and 
forced  him  downwards.  I  had  no  time  to  repeat  my 
blow,  but  I  saw  him  rise  to  the  surface  in  the  wake  of 
the  boat,  and  never  shall  I  forget  the  ferocious  expres 
sion  of  his  countenance. 

Only  one  other  of  the  savages  reached  the  boat.  He 
seized  the  gunwale,  but  the  knives  of  our  rowers  so 
mauled  his  wrists  that  he  was  forced  to  quit  his  hold, 
and  the  next  minute  we  were  past  them  all,  and  in  safety. 
The  strong  excitement  which  had  thus  far  kept  me  up 
now  left  me,  and  I  fell  back  fainting  into  the  arms  of 
Karakoee. 

The  circumstances  connected  with  my  most  unexpected 
escape  may  be  very  briefly  stated.  The  captain  of  an 
Australian  vessel,  being  in  distress  for  men  in  these  re- 


334  TYPEE 

mote  seas,  had  put  into  Nukuheva  in  order  to  recruit 
his  ship's  company;  but  not  a  single  man  was  to  be  ob 
tained,  and  the  barque  was  about  to  get  under  weigh, 
when  she  was  boarded  by  Karakoee,  who  informed  the 
disappointed  Englishman  that  an  American  sailor  was 
detained  by  the  savages  in  the  neighbouring  bay  of  Ty- 
pee;  and  he  offered,  if  supplied  with  suitable  articles  of 
traffic,  to  undertake  his  release.  The  Kanaka  had  gained 
his  intelligence  from  Marnoo,  to  whom,  after  all,  I  was 
indebted  for  my  escape.  The  proposition  was  acceded 
to;  and  Karakoee,  taking  with  him  five  tabooed  natives 
of  Nukuheva,  again  repaired  aboard  the  barque,  which 
in  a  few  hours  sailed  to  that  part  of  the  island  and  threw 
her  main-top-sail  aback  right  off  the  entrance  to  the 
Typee  bay.  The  whale-boat,  manned  by  the  tabooed 
crew,  pulled  towards  the  head  of  the  inlet,  while  the  ship 
lay  "off  and  on"  awaiting  its  return. 

The  events  which  ensued  have  already  been  detailed, 
and  little  more  remains  to  be  related.  On  reaching  the 
Julia  I  was  lifted  over  the  side,  and  my  strange  ap 
pearance  and  remarkable  adventure  occasioned  the  live 
liest  interest.  Every  attention  was  bestowed  upon  me 
that  humanity  could  suggest.  But  to  such  a  state  was 
I  reduced  that  three  months  elapsed  before  I  recovered 
my  health. 

The  mystery  which  hung  over  the  fate  of  my  friend 
and  companion  Toby  has  never  been  cleared  up.  I  still 
remain  ignorant  whether  he  succeeded  in  leaving  the 
valley  or  perished  at  the  hands  of  the  islanders. 


NOTE 

The  author  was  more  than  two  years  in  the  South  Seas,  after 
escaping  from  the  valley  as  recounted  in  the  last  chapter.  Some 
time  after  returning  home  the  foregoing  narrative  was  published, 
though  it  was  little  thought  at  the  time  that  this  would  be  the 
means  of  revealing  the  existence  of  Toby,  who  had  long  been  given 
up  for  lost.  But  so  it  proved. 

The  story  of  his  escape  supplies  a  natural  sequel  to  the  adven 
ture,  and  as  such  it  is  now  added  to  the  volume.  It  was  related 
to  the  author  by  Toby  himself,  not  ten  days  since. — [Melville's 
note]. 

NEW  YORK,  July,  1846. 


THE   STORY   OF  TOBY 

THE  morning  my  comrade  left  me,  as  related  in  the 
narrative,  he  was  accompanied  by  a  large  party  of  the 
natives,  some  of  them  carrying  fruit  and  hogs  for  the 
purposes  of  traffic,  as  the  report  had  spread  that  boats 
had  touched  at  the  bay. 

As  they  proceeded  through  the  settled  parts  of  the 
valley,  numbers  joined  them  from  every  side,  running 
with  animated  cries  from  every  pathway.  So  excited 
were  the  whole  party  that,  eager  as  Toby  was  to  gain 
the  beach,  it  was  almost  as  much  as  he  could  do  to 
keep  up  with  them.  Making  the  valley  ring  with  their 
shouts,  they  hurried  along  on  a  swift  trot,  those  in  ad 
vance  pausing  now  and  then  and  flourishing  their  weap 
ons  to  urge  the  rest  forward. 

Presently  they  came  to  a  place  where  the  path  crossed 
a  band  of  the  main  stream  of  the  valley.  Here  a  strange 
sound  came  through  the  grove  beyond,  and  the  islanders 
halted.  It  was  Mow -Mow,  the  one-eyed  chief,  who  had 
gone  on  before;  he  was  striking  his  heavy  lance  against 
the  hollow  bough  of  a  tree. 

This  was  a  signal  of  alarm;  for  nothing  was  now 
heard  but  shouts  of  "Happar!  Happar!"  —  the  war 
riors  tilting  with  their  spears  and  brandishing  them  in 
the  air,  and  the  women  and  boys  shouting  to  each  other, 
and  picking  up  the  stones  in  the  bed  of  the  stream. 
In  a  moment  or  two  Mow-Mow  and  two  or  three  other 
chiefs  ran  out  from  the  grove,  and  the  din  increased 
ten-fold. 


THE    STORY   OF    TOBY  337 

Now,  thought  Toby,  for  a  fray;  and  being  unarmed, 
he  besought  one  of  the  young  men  domiciled  with  Mar- 
heyo  for  the  loan  of  his  spear.  But  he  refused, 
the  youth  roguishly  telling  him  that  the  weapon  was  very 
good  for  him  (the  Typee),  but  that  a  white  man  could 
fight  much  better  with  his  fists. 

The  merry  humour  of  this  young  wag  seemed  to  be 
shared  by  the  rest,  for  in  spite  of  their  warlike  cries  and 
gestures,  everybody  was  capering  about  and  laughing, 
as  if  it  was  one  of  the  funniest  things  in  the  world 
to  be  awaiting  the  flight  of  a  score  or  two  of  Happar 
javelins  from  an  ambush  in  the  thickets. 

While  my  comrade  was  in  vain  trying  to  make  out 
the  meaning  of  all  this,  a  good  number  of  the  natives 
separated  themselves  from  the  rest  and  ran  off  into  the 
grove  on  one  side,  the  others  now  keeping  perfectly  still, 
as  if  awaiting  the  result.  After  a  little  while,  however, 
Mow-Mow,  who  stood  in  advance,  motioned  them  to 
come  on  stealthily,  which  they  did,  scarcely  rustling  a 
leaf.  Thus  they  crept  along  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes, 
every  now  and  then  pausing  to  listen. 

Toby  by  no  means  relished  this  sort  of  skulking;  if 
there  was  going  to  be  a  fight  he  wanted  it  to  begin  at 
once.  But  all  in  good  time,  —  for  just  then,  as  they 
went  prowling  into  the  thickest  of  the  wood,  terrific 
howls  burst  upon  them  on  all  sides,  and  volleys  of  darts 
and  stones  flew  across  the  path.  Not  an  enemy  was  to 
be  seen,  and,  what  was  still  more  surprising,  not  a  single 
man  dropped,  though  the  pebbles  fell  among  the  leaves 
like  hail. 

There  was  a  moment's  pause,  when  the  Typees,  with 
wild  shrieks,  flung  themselves  into  the  covert,  spear  in 
hand;  nor  was  Toby  behindhand.  Coming  so  near  get 
ting  his  skull  broken  by  the  stones,  and  animated  by  an 


338  TYPEE 

old  grudge  he  bore  the  Happars,  he  was  among  the  first 
to  dash  at  them.  As  he  broke  his  way  through  the 
underbrush,  trying,  as  he  did  so,  to  wrest  a  spear  from  a 
young  chief,  the  shouts  of  battle  all  of  a  sudden  ceased, 
and  the  wood  was  as  still  as  death.  The  next  moment, 
the  party  who  had  left  them  so  mysteriously  rushed  out 
from  behind  every  bush  and  tree  and  united  with  the 
rest  in  long  and  merry  peals  of  laughter. 

It  was  all  a  sham,  and  Toby,  who  was  quite  out  of 
breath  with  excitement,  was  much  incensed  at  being 
made  a  fool  of. 

It  afterwards  turned  out  that  the  whole  affair  had 
been  concerted  for  his  particular  benefit,  though  with 
what  precise  view  it  would  be  hard  to  tell.  My  com 
rade  was  the  more  enraged  at  this  boy's  play  since  it 
had  consumed  so  much  time,  every  moment  of  which 
might  be  precious.  Perhaps,  however,  it  was  partly 
intended  for  this  very  purpose;  and  he  was  led  to  think 
so,  because,  when  the  natives  started  again,  he  observed 
that  they  did  not  seem  to  be  in  so  great  a  hurry  as 
before.  At  last,  after  they  had  gone  some  distance, 
Toby  thinking  all  the  while  that  they  never  would  get 
to  the  sea,  two  men  came  running  towards  them,  and  a 
regular  halt  ensued,  followed  by  a  noisy  discussion, 
during  which  Toby's  name  was  often  repeated.  All 
this  made  him  more  and  more  anxious  to  learn  what 
was  going  on  at  the  beach;  but  it  was  in  vain  that  he 
now  tried  to  push  forward;  the  natives  held  him  back. 

In  a  few  moments  the  conference  ended,  and  many  of 
them  ran  down  the  path  in  the  direction  of  the  water, 
the  rest  surrounding  Toby  and  entreating  him  to  "Moee," 
or  sit  down  and  rest  himself.  As  an  additional  induce 
ment,  several  calabashes  of  food,  which  had  been  brought 
along,  were  now  placed  on  the  ground  and  opened,  and 


THE    STORY   OF    TOBY  339 

pipes  also  were  lighted.  Toby  bridled  his  impatience  a 
while,  but  at  last  sprang  to  his  feet  and  dashed  forward 
again.  He  was  soon  overtaken  nevertheless,  and  again 
surrounded,  but  without  further  detention  was  then  per 
mitted  to  go  down  to  the  sea. 

They  came  out  upon  a  bright  green  space  between 
the  groves  and  the  water  and  close  under  the  shadow  of 
the  Happar  mountain,  where  a  path  was  seen  winding 
out  of  sight  through  a  gorge. 

No  sign  of  a  boat,  however,  was  beheld;  nothing  but 
a  tumultuous  crowd  of  men  and  women,  and  some  one 
in  their  midst  earnestly  talking  to  them.  As  my  com 
rade  advanced,  this  person  came  forward  and  proved  to 
be  no  stranger.  He  was  an  old  grizzled  sailor  whom 
Toby  and  myself  had  frequently  seen  in  Nukuheva, 
where  he  lived  an  easy  devil-may-care  life  in  the  house 
hold  of  Mowanna  the  king,  going  by  the  name  of 
"Jimmy."  In  fact,  he  was  the  royal  favourite  and  had 
a  good  deal  to  say  in  his  master's  councils.  He  wore  a 
Manilla  hat  and  a  sort  of  tappa  morning  gown,  suffi 
ciently  loose  and  negligent  to  show  the  verse  of  a  song 
tattooed  upon  his  chest  and  a  variety  of  spirited  cuts 
by  native  artists  in  other  parts  of  his  body.  He  sported 
a  fishing-rod  in  his  hand,  and  carried  a  sooty  old  pipe 
slung  about  his  neck. 

This  old  rover,  having  retired  from  active  life,  had 
resided  in  Nukuheva  for  some  time,  could  speak  the 
language,  and  for  that  reason  was  frequently  employed 
by  the  French  as  an  interpreter.  He  was  an  arrant  old 
gossip  too,  forever  coming  off  in  his  canoe  to  the  ships 
in  the  bay  and  regaling  their  crews  with  choice  little 
morsels  of  court  scandal.  I  remember  in  particular  his 
telling  the  Dolly's  crew  what  proved  to  be  literally  a 
cock-and-bull  story  about  two  natural  prodigies  which 


340  TYPEE 

he  said  were  then  on  the  island.  One  was  an  old  monster 
of  a  hermit,  having  a  marvellous  reputation  for  sanctity, 
and  reputed  a  famous  sorcerer,  who  lived  away  off  in  a 
den  among  the  mountains,  where  he  hid  from  the  world 
a  great  pair  of  horns  that  grew  out  of  his  temples.  Not 
withstanding  his  reputation  for  piety,  this  horrid  old  fel 
low  was  the  terror  of  all  the  island  round,  being  reported 
to  come  out  from  his  retreat  and  go  a  man-hunting  every 
dark  night.  Some  anonymous  Paul  Pry,  too,  coming 
down  the  mountain,  once  got  a  peep  at  his  den  and  found 
it  full  of  bones.  In  short,  he  was  a  most  unheard-of 
monster. 

The  other  prodigy  Jimmy  told  us  about  was  the 
younger  son  of  a  chief,  who,  although  but  just  turned 
of  ten,  had  entered  upon  holy  orders,  because  his  super 
stitious  countrymen  thought  him  especially  intended  for 
the  priesthood  from  the  fact  of  his  having  a  comb  on 
his  head  like  a  rooster.  But  this  was  not  all;  for  still 
more  wonderful  to  relate,  the  boy  prided  himself  upon 
this  strange  crest,  being  actually  endowed  with  a  cock's 
voice  and  frequently  crowing  over  his  peculiarity. 

But  to  return  to  Toby.  The  moment  he  saw  the  old 
rover  on  the  beach  he  ran  up  to  him,  the  natives  fol 
lowing  after  and  forming  a  circle  round  them. 

After  welcoming  him  to  the  shore,  Jimmy  went  on  to 
tell  him  how  that  he  knew  all  about  our  having  run 
away  from  the  ship  and  being  among  the  Typees.  In 
deed,  he  had  been  urged  by  Mowanna  to  come  over  to 
the  valley,  and  after  visiting  his  friends  there,  to  bring 
us  back  with  him,  his  royal  master  being  exceedingly 
anxious  to  share  with  him  the  reward  which  had  been 
held  out  for  our  capture.  He,  however,  assured  Toby 
that  he  had  indignantly  spurned  the  offer. 

All  this  astonished  my  comrade  not  a  little,  as  neither 


THE    STORY    OF    TOBY  341 

of  us  had  entertained  the  least  idea  that  any  white  man 
ever  visited  the  Typees  sociably.  But  Jimmy  told  him 
that  such  was  the  case  nevertheless,  although  he  seldom 
came  into  the  bay  and  scarcely  ever  went  back  from 
the  beach.  One  of  the  priests  of  the  valley,  in  some 
way  or  other  connected  with  an  old  tattooed  divine  in 
Nukuheva,  was  a  friend  of  his,  and  through  him  he  was 
"taboo." 

He  said,  moreover,  that  he  was  sometimes  employed 
to  come  round  to  the  bay  and  engage  fruit  for  ships 
lying  in  Nukuheva.  In  fact,  he  was  now  on  that  very 
errand,  according  to  his  own  account,  having  just  come 
across  the  mountains  by  the  way  of  Happar.  By  noon 
of  the  next  day  the  fruit  would  be  heaped  up  in  stacks 
on  the  beach,  in  readiness  for  the  boats  which  he  then 
intended  to  bring  into  the  bay. 

Jimmy  now  asked  Toby  whether  he  wished  to  leave 
the  island;  if  he  did,  there  was  a  ship  in  want  of  men 
lying  in  the  other  harbour,  and  he  would  be  glad  to 
take  him  over  and  see  him  on  board  that  very  day. 

"No,"  said  Toby,  "I  cannot  leave  the  island  unless 
my  comrade  goes  with  me.  I  left  him  up  the  valley 
because  they  would  not  let  him  come  down.  Let  us  go 
now  and  fetch  him." 

"But  how  is  he  to  cross  the  mountain  with  us,"  re 
plied  Jimmy,  "even  if  we  get  him  down  to  the  beach? 
Better  let  him  stay  till  to-morrow,  and  I  will  bring  him 
round  to  Nukuheva  in  the  boats." 

"That  will  never  do,"  said  Toby;  "but  come  along 
with  me  now,  and  let  us  get  him  down  here  at  any 
rate;"  and  yielding  to  the  impulse  of  the  moment,  he 
started  to  hurry  back  into  the  valley.  But  hardly  was 
his  back  turned  when  a  dozen  hands  were  laid  on  him, 
and  he  learned  that  he  could  not  go  a  step  farther. 


342  TYPEE 

It  was  in  vain  that  he  fought  with  them;  they  would 
not  hear  of  his  stirring  from  the  beach.  Cut  to  the 
heart  at  this  unexpected  repulse,  Toby  now  conjured 
the  sailor  to  go  after  me  alone.  But  Jimmy  replied 
that  in  the  mood  the  Typees  then  were  they  would  not 
permit  him  so  to  do,  though  at  the  same  time  he  was 
not  afraid  of  their  offering  him  any  harm. 

Little  did  Toby  then  think,  as  he  afterwards  had  good 
reason  to  suspect,  that  this  very  Jimmy  was  a  heartless 
villain,  who  by  his  arts  had  just  incited  the  natives  to 
restrain  him  as  he  was  in  the  act  of  going  after  me. 
Well  must  the  old  sailor  have  known,  too,  that  the 
natives  would  never  consent  to  our  leaving  together, 
and  he  therefore  wanted  to  get  Toby  off  alone,  for  a 
purpose  which  he  afterwards  made  plain.  Of  all  this, 
however,  my  comrade  now  knew  nothing. 

He  was  still  struggling  with  the  islanders  when  Jimmy 
again  came  up  to  him  and  warned  him  against  irritating 
them,  saying  that  he  was  only  making  matters  worse  for 
both  of  us,  and  if  they  became  enraged,  there  was  no 
telling  what  might  happen.  At  last  he  made  Toby  sit 
down  on  a  broken  canoe  by  a  pile  of  stones,  upon  which 
was  a  ruinous  little  shrine  supported  by  four  upright 
paddles  and  in  front  partly  screened  by  a  net.  The 
fishing  parties  met  there  when  they  came  in  from  the 
sea,  for  their  offerings  were  laid  before  an  image,  upon 
a  smooth  black  stone  within.  This  spot  Jimmy  said 
was  strictly  "taboo,"  and  no  one  would  molest  or  come 
near  him  while  he  stayed  by  its  shadow.  The  old  sailor 
then  went  off  and  began  speaking  very  earnestly  to 
Mow-Mow  and  some  other  chiefs,  while  all  the  rest 
formed  a  circle  round  the  taboo  place,  looking  intently 
at  Toby  and  talking  to  each  other  without  ceasing. 

Now,  notwithstanding  what  Jimmy  had  just  told  him, 


THE    STORY   OF   TOBY  343 

there  presently  came  up  to  my  comrade  an  old  woman, 
who  seated  herself  beside  him  on  the  canoe. 

"Typee  motarkee?"  said  she. 

"Motarkee  nuee,"  said  Toby. 

She  then  asked  him  whether  he  was  going  to  Nuku- 
heva;  he  nodded  yes;  and  with  a  plaintive  wail  and 
her  eyes  filling  with  tears  she  rose  and  left  him. 

This  old  woman,  the  sailor  afterwards  said,  was  the 
wife  of  an  aged  king  of  a  small  inland  valley,  communi 
cating  by  a  deep  pass  with  the  country  of  the  Typees. 
The  inmates  of  the  two  valleys  were  related  to  each 
other  by  blood,  and  were  known  by  the  same  name. 
The  old  woman  had  gone  down  into  the  Typee  valley 
the  day  before,  and  was  now  with  three  chiefs,  her  sons, 
on  a  visit  to  her  kinsmen. 

As  the  old  king's  wife  left  him,  Jimmy  again  came 
up  to  Toby  and  told  him  that  he  had  just  talked  the 
whole  matter  over  with  the  natives,  and  there  was  only 
one  course  for  him  to  follow.  They  would  not  allow 
him  to  go  back  into  the  valley,  and  harm  would  cer 
tainly  come  to  both  him  and  me  if  he  remained  much 
longer  on  the  beach.  "So,"  said  he,  "you  and  I  had 
better  go  to  Nukuheva  now  overland,  and  to-morrow  I 
will  bring  Tommo,  as  they  call  him,  by  water;  they 
have  promised  to  carry  him  down  to  the  sea  for  me 
early  in  the  morning,  so  that  there  will  be  no  delay." 

"No,  no,"  said  Toby  desperately,  "I  will  not  leave 
him  that  way;  we  must  escape  together." 

"Then  there  is  no  hope  for  you,"  exclaimed  the 
sailor;  "for  if  I  leave  you  here  on  the  beach,  as  soon 
as  I  am  gone  you  will  be  carried  back  into  the  valley, 
and  then  neither  of  you  will  ever  look  upon  the  sea 
again."  And  with  many  oaths  he  swore  that  if  he 
would  only  go  to  Nukuheva  with  him  that  day,  he 
would  be  sure  to  have  me  there  the  very  next  morning. 


344  TYPEE 

"But  how  do  you  know  they  will  bring  him  down  to 
the  beach  to-morrow,  when  they  will  not  do  so  to-day?" 
said  Toby.  But  the  sailor  had  many  reasons,  all  of 
which  were  so  mixed  up  with  the  mysterious  customs 
of  the  islanders  that  he  was  none  the  wiser.  Indeed, 
their  conduct,  especially  in  preventing  him  from  return 
ing  into  the  valley,  was  absolutely  unaccountable  to 
him;  and  added  to  everything  else  was  the  bitter  re 
flection  that  the  old  sailor,  after  all,  might  possibly  be 
deceiving  him.  And  then  again  he  had  to  think  of  me, 
left  alone  with  the  natives  and  by  no  means  well.  If 
he  went  with  Jimmy,  he  might  at  least  hope  to  procure 
some  relief  for  me.  But  might  not  the  savages  who 
had  acted  so  strangely  hurry  me  off  somewhere  before  his 
return?  Then,  even  if  he  remained,  perhaps  they  would 
not  let  him  go  back  into  the  valley  where  I  was. 

Thus  perplexed  was  my  poor  comrade;  he  knew  not 
what  to  do,  and  his  courageous  spirit  was  of  no  use  to 
him  now.  There  he  was,  all  by  himself,  seated  upon 
the  broken  canoe  —  the  natives  grouped  around  him  at 
a  distance  and  eyeing  him  more  and  more  fixedly. 

"It  is  getting  late,"  said  Jimmy,  who  was  standing 
behind  the  rest.  "Nukuheva  is  far  off,  and  I  cannot 
cross  the  Happar  country  by  night.  You  see  how  it  is: 
if  you  come  along  with  me,  all  will  be  well;  if  you 
do  not,  depend  upon  it,  neither  of  you  will  ever  escape." 

"There  is  no  help  for  it,"  said  Toby  at  last,  with  a 
heavy  heart;  "I  will  have  to  trust  you;"  and  he  came 
out  from  the  shadow  of  the  little  shrine  and  cast  a  long 
look  up  the  valley. 

"Now  keep  close  to  my  side,"  said  the  sailor,  "and 
let  us  be  moving  quickly,"  Tinor  and  Fayaway  here 
appeared,  the  kind-hearted  old  woman  embracing  Toby's 
knees  and  giving  way  to  a  flood  of  tears,  while  Fay- 


THE    STORY   OF   TOBY  345 

away,  hardly  less  moved,  spoke  some  few  words  of  Eng 
lish  she  had  learned  and  held  up  three  fingers  before  him 
—  in  so  many  days  he  would  return. 

At  last  Jimmy  pulled  Toby  out  of  the  crowd,  and 
after  calling  to  a  young  Typee  who  was  standing  by 
with  a  young  pig  in  his  arms,  all  three  started  for  the 
mountains. 

"I  have  told  them  that  you  are  coming  back  again," 
said  the  old  fellow,  laughing,  as  they  began  the  ascent, 
"but  they'll  have  to  wait  a  long  time."  Toby  turned, 
and  saw  the  natives  all  in  motion  —  the  girls  waving 
their  tappas  in  adieu,  and  the  men  their  spears.  As  the 
last  figure  entered  the  grove  with  one  arm  raised  and 
the  three  fingers  spread,  his  heart  smote  him. 

As  the  natives  had  at  last  consented  to  his  going,  it 
might  have  been  that  some  of  them,  at  least,  really 
counted  upon  his  speedy  return,  probably  supposing,  as 
indeed  he  had  told  them  when  they  were  coming  down 
the  valley,  that  his  only  object  in  leaving  them  was  to 
procure  the  medicines  I  needed.  This  Jimmy  also 
must  have  told  them.  And  as  they  had  done  before, 
when  my  comrade,  to  oblige  me,  started  on  his  perilous 
journey  to  Nukuheva,  they  looked  upon  me,  in  his 
absence,  as  one  of  two  inseparable  friends  who  was  a 
sure  guaranty  for  the  other's  return.  This  is  only  my 
own  supposition,  however,  for  as  to  all  their  strange 
conduct,  it  is  still  a  mystery. 

"You  see  what  sort  of  a  taboo  man  I  am,"  said  the 
sailor,  after  for  some  time  silently  following  the  path 
which  led  up  the  mountain.  "Mow-Mow  made  me  a 
present  of  this  pig  here,  and  the  man  who  carries  it  will 
go  right  through  Happar  and  down  into  Nukuheva  with 
us.  So  long  as  he  stays  by  me  he  is  safe,  and  just  so  it 
will  be  with  you,  and  to-morrow  with  Tommo.  Cheer 


346  TYPEE 

up,  then,  and  rely  upon  me;  you  will  see  him  in  the 
morning." 

The  ascent  of  the  mountain  was  not  very  difficult, 
owing  to  its  being  near  to  the  sea  where  the  island 
ridges  are  comparatively  low;  the  path,  too,  was  a  fine 
one,  so  that  in  a  short  time  all  three  were  standing  on 
the  summit  with  the  two  valleys  at  their  feet.  The 
white  cascades  marking  the  green  head  of  the  Typee 
valley  first  caught  Toby's  eye;  Marheyo's  house  could 
easily  be  traced  by  them. 

As  Jimmy  led  the  way  along  the  ridge,  Toby  ob 
served  that  the  valley  of  the  Happars  did  not  extend 
near  so  far  inland  as  that  of  the  Typees.  This  accounted 
for  our  mistake  in  entering  the  latter  valley  as  we  had. 

The  path  leading  down  from  the  mountain  was  soon 
seen,  and,  following  it,  the  party  were  in  a  short  time 
fairly  in  the  happy  valley. 

"Now,"  said  Jimmy,  as  they  hurried  on,  "we  taboo 
men  have  wives  in  all  the  bays,  and  I  am  going  to  show 
you  the  two  I  have  here." 

So,  when  they  came  to  the  house  where  he  said  they 
lived  —  which  was  close  by  the  base  of  the  mountain 
in  a  shady  nook  among  the  grooves  —  he  went  in,  and 
was  quite  furious  at  finding  it  empty  —  the  ladies  had 
gone  out.  However,  they  soon  made  their  appearance 
and,  to  tell  the  truth,  welcomed  Jimmy  quite  cordially, 
as  well  as  Toby,  about  whom  they  were  very  inquisitive. 
Nevertheless,  as  the  report  of  their  arrival  spread  and 
the  Happars  began  to  assemble,  it  became  evident  that 
the  appearance  of  a  white  stranger  among  them  was  not 
by  any  means  deemed  so  wonderful  an  event  as  in  the 
neighbouring  valley. 

The  old  sailor  now  bade  his  wives  prepare  something 
to  eat,  as  he  must  be  in  Nukuheva  before  dark.  A  meal 


THE    STORY   OF    TOBY  347 

of  fish,  bread-fruit,  and  bananas  was  accordingly  served 
up,  the  party  regaling  themselves  on  the  mats,  in  the 
midst  of  a  numerous  company. 

The  Happars  put  many  questions  to  Jimmy  about 
Toby;  and  Toby  himself  looked  sharply  at  them,  anxious 
to  recognise  the  fellow  who  gave  him  the  wound  from 
which  he  was  still  suffering.  But  this  fiery  gentleman, 
so  handy  with  his  spear,  had  the  delicacy,  it  seemed,  to 
keep  out  of  view.  Certainly  the  sight  of  him  would  not 
have  been  any  added  inducement  to  making  a  stay  in 
the  valley,  some  of  the  afternoon  loungers  in  Happar 
having  politely  urged  Toby  to  spend  a  few  days  with  them 
—  there  was  a  feast  coming  on.  He,  however,  declined. 

All  this  while  the  young  Typee  stuck  to  Jimmy  like 
his  shadow,  and  though  as  lively  a  dog  as  any  of  his 
tribe,  he  was  now  as  meek  as  a  lamb,  never  opening  his 
mouth  except  to  eat.  Although  some  of  the  Happars 
looked  queerly  at  him,  others  were  more  civil,  and  seemed 
desirous  of  taking  him  abroad  and  showing  him  the 
valley.  But  the  Typee  was  not  to  be  cajoled  in  that 
way.  How  many  yards  he  would  have  to  remove  from 
Jimmy  before  the  taboo  would  be  powerless,  it  would  be 
hard  to  tell,  but  probably  he  himself  knew  to  a  fraction. 

On  the  promise  of  a  red  cotton  handkerchief,  and 
something  else  which  he  kept  secret,  this  poor  fellow 
had  undertaken  a  rather  ticklish  journey;  as  far  as  Toby 
could  ascertain,  it  was  something  that  had  never  hap 
pened  before. 

The  island-punch  —  arva  —  was  brought  in  at  the  con 
clusion  of  the  repast  and  passed  round  in  a  shallow 
calabash. 

Now  my  comrade,  while  seated  in  the  Happar  house, 
began  to  feel  more  troubled  than  ever  at  leaving  me: 
indeed,  so  sad  did  he  feel  that  he  talked  about  going 


348  TYPEE 

back  to  the  valley,  and  wanted  Jimmy  to  escort  him  as 
far  as  the  mountains.  But  the  sailor  would  not  listen 
to  him,  and,  by  way  of  diverting  his  thoughts,  pressed 
him  to  drink  of  the  arva.  Knowing  its  narcotic  nature, 
he  refused;  but  Jimmy  said  he  would  have  something 
mixed  with  it  which  would  convert  it  into  an  innocent 
beverage  that  would  inspirit  them  for  the  rest  of  their 
journey.  So  at  last  he  was  induced  to  drink  of  it,  and 
its  effects  were  just  as  the  sailor  had  predicted;  his 
spirits  rose  at  once,  and  all  his  gloomy  thoughts  left 
him. 

The  old  rover  now  began  to  reveal  his  true  character, 
though  he  was  hardly  suspected  at  the  time.  "If  I  get 
you  off  to  a  ship,"  said  he  "you  will  surely  give  a  poor 
fellow  something  for  saving  you."  In  short,  before  they 
left  the  house,  he  made  Toby  promise  that  he  would 
give  him  five  Spanish  dollars  if  he  succeeded  in  getting 
any  part  of  his  wages  advanced  from  the  vessel  aboard 
of  which  they  were  going,  Toby,  moreover,  engaging  to 
reward  him  still  further  as  soon  as  my  deliverance  was 
accomplished. 

A  little  while  after  this  they  started  again,  accom 
panied  by  many  of  the  natives,  and  going  up  the  valley, 
took  a  steep  path  near  its  head,  which  led  to  Nukuheva. 
Here  the  Happars  paused,  and  watched  them  as  they 
ascended  the  mountain,  one  group  of  bandit-looking 
fellows  shaking  their  spears  and  casting  threatening 
glances  at  the  poor  Typee,  whose  heart  as  well  as  heels 
seemed  much  the  lighter  when  he  came  to  look  down 
upon  them. 

On  gaining  the  heights  once  more,  their  way  led  for 
a  time  along  several  ridges  covered  with  enormous  ferns. 
At  last  they  entered  upon  a  wooded  tract,  and  here 
they  overtook  a  party  of  Nukuheva  natives,  well  armed, 


THE    STORY    OF    TOBY  349 

and  carrying  bundles  of  long  poles.  Jimmy  seemed  to 
know  them  all  very  well,  and  stopped  for  a  while  and 
had  a  talk  about  the  "Wee-Wees,"  as  the  people  of 
Nukuheva  call  the  Monsieurs. 

The  party  with  the  poles  were  King  Mowanna's  men, 
and  by  his  orders  they  had  been  gathering  them  in  the 
ravines  for  his  allies  the  French. 

Leaving  these  fellows  to  trudge  on  with  their  loads, 
Toby  and  his  companions  now  pushed  forward  again, 
as  the  sun  was  already  low  in  the  west.  They  came 
upon  the  valleys  of  Nukuheva  on  one  side  of  the  bay, 
where  the  highlands  slope  off  into  the  sea.  The  men- 
of-war  were  still  lying  in  the  harbour,  and  as  Toby 
looked  down  upon  them,  the  strange  events  which  had 
happened  so  recently  seemed  all  a  dream. 

They  soon  descended  towards  the  beach,  and  found 
themselves  in  Jimmy's  house  before  it  was  well  dark. 
Here  he  received  another  welcome  from  his  Nukuheva 
wives,  and  after  some  refreshments  in  the  shape  of 
cocoa-nut  milk  and  poee-poee,  they  entered  a  canoe  (the 
Typee,  of  course,  going  along)  and  paddled  off  to  a 
whale  ship  which  was  anchored  near  the  shore.  This 
was  the  vessel  in  want  of  men.  Our  own  had  sailed 
some  time  before.  The  captain  professed  great  pleasure 
at  seeing  Toby,  but  thought,  from  his  exhausted  ap 
pearance,  that  he  must  be  unfit  for  duty.  However,  he 
agreed  to  ship  him,  as  well  as  his  comrade,  as  soon  as 
he  should  arrive. 

Toby  begged  hard  for  an  armed  boat  in  which  to  go 
round  to  Typee  and  rescue  me,  notwithstanding  the 
promises  of  Jimmy.  But  this  the  captain  would  not 
hear  of,  and  told  him  to  have  patience,  for  the  sailor 
would  be  faithful  to  his  word.  When,  too,  he  demanded 
the  five  silver  dollars  for  Jimmy,  the  captain  was  un- 


350  TYPEE 

willing  to  give  them.  But  Toby  insisted  upon  it,  as 
he  now  began  to  think  that  Jimmy  might  be  a  mere 
mercenary  who  would  be  sure  to  prove  faithless  if  not 
well  paid.  Accordingly  he  not  only  gave  him  the  money, 
but  took  care  to  assure  him,  over  and  over  again,  that 
as  soon  as  he  brought  me  aboard  he  would  receive  a  still 
larger  sum. 

Before  sun-rise  the  next  day  Jimmy  and  the  Typee 
started  in  two  of  the  ship's  boats,  which  were  manned 
by  tabooed  natives.  Toby,  of  course,  was  all  eagerness 
to  go  along,  but  the  sailor  told  him  that  if  he  did,  it 
would  spoil  all;  so,  hard  as  it  was,  he  was  obliged  to 
remain. 

Towards  evening  he  was  on  the  watch,  and  descried 
the  boats  turning  the  headland  and  entering  the  bay. 
He  strained  his  eyes,  and  thought  he  saw  me;  but  I 
was  not  there.  Descending  from  the  mast  almost  dis 
tracted,  he  grappled  Jimmy  as  he  struck  the  deck, 
shouting  in  a  voice  that  startled  him,  "Where  is  Tommo?" 
The  old  fellow  faltered,  but  soon  recovering,  did  all  he 
could  to  soothe  him,  assuring  him  that  it  had  proved 
to  be  impossible  to  get  me  down  to  the  shore  that  morn 
ing,  assigning  many  plausible  reasons,  and  adding  that 
early  on  the  morrow  he  was  going  to  visit  the  bay  again 
in  a  French  boat,  when,  if  he  did  not  find  me  on  the 
beach  —  as  this  time  he  certainly  expected  to  —  he  would 
march  right  back  into  the  valley  and  carry  me  away  at 
all  hazards.  He,  however,  again  refused  to  allow  Toby 
to  accompany  him. 

Now,  situated  as  Toby  was,  his  sole  dependence  for 
the  present  was  upon  this  Jimmy,  and  therefore  he  was 
fain  to  comfort  himself  as  well  as  he  could  with  what 
the  old  sailor  had  told  him. 

The  next  morning,  however,  he  had  the  satisfaction 


THE    STORY   OF    TOBY  351 

of  seeing  the  French  boat  start  with  Jimmy  in  it.  To 
night,  then,  I  will  see  him,  thought  Toby;  but  many 
a  long  day  passed  before  he  ever  saw  Tommo  again. 
Hardly  was  the  boat  out  of  sight  when  the  captain 
came  forward  and  ordered  the  anchor  to  be  weighed; 
he  was  going  to  sea. 

Vain  were  all  Toby's  ravings  —  they  were  disregarded; 
and  when  he  came  to  himself  the  sails  were  set,  and  the 
ship  fast  leaving  the  land. 

.  .  .  "Oh!"  said  he  to  me  at  our  meeting,  "what 
sleepless  nights  were  mine.  Often  I  started  from  my 
hammock,  dreaming  you  were  before  me  and  upbraiding 
me  for  leaving  you  on  the  island." 

There  is  little  more  to  be  related.  Toby  left  this  vessel 
at  New  Zealand,  and  after  some  further  adventures 
arrived  home  in  less  than  two  years  after  leaving  the 
Marquesas.  He  always  thought  of  me  as  dead  —  and 
I  had  every  reason  to  suppose  that  he  too  was  no  more; 
but  a  strange  meeting  was  in  store  for  us,  one  which 
made  Toby's  heart  all  the  lighter. 


THE   END. 


GLOSSARY 

[Marquesan  commpn  and  proper  nouns  are  indicated  by  bold-face  type.] 

aa,  yes. 

abo,  wait. 

aka,  a  root  from  which  ointment  is  pressed  (p.  149). 

albicore,  a  large  fish,  the  long-finned  tunny  or  Spanish  mackerel. 

amar,  baked  breadfruit  (see  p.  158).  This  is  spelled  ama  by 
Church.  Melville  is  quite  lavish  with  final  r's,  as  in  Happar, 
which  Stevenson  calls  a  "grotesque  misspelling."  Melville 
had  a  New  England  ear. 

Animated  Nature,  "A  History  of  the  Earth  and  Animated 
Nature,"  (published  in  1774),  by  Oliver  Goldsmith. 

apples  of  Sodom,  described  by  the  credulous  traveler  Herodotus; 
they  were  supposed  to  grow  near  the  Dead  Sea  in  Palestine 
(p.  68). 

armor,  an  oily  nut  burned  as  a  taper  (pp.  274  and  286). 

arva,  "the  name  bestowed  upon  a  root  the  properties  of  which 
are  both  inebriating  and  medicinal"  [Melville's  note] 
(pp.  222-3). 

Arva  Wai  ("strong  water"),  a  mineral  spring  in  the  Typee 
valley  (pp.  207  ff.). 

arware,  where? 

attia,  "The  word  'atua,'  although  having  some  other  meanings, 
is  in  nearly  all  the  Polynesian  dialects  used  as  the  general 
designation  of  the  gods"  [Melville's  note].  See  Moa  Atua. 

awha,  alas! 

bedlamite,  an  inmate  of  the  insane  hospital  called  Bethlehem, 
later  Bedlam,  which  was  first  a  priory  of  St.  Mary  of  Beth 
lehem,  founded  in  London  in  the  Thirteenth  century. 

bo-a-sho,  cooked  breadfruit  stirred  into  cold  water  (p.  156). 

botee,  a  boat. 

brazen  bull,  a  torture  instrument  made  for  roasting  the  victims 
of  Phalaris,  king  of  Agrigentum,  by  the  artisan  Perillus. 
The  builder  of  the  beast  was  its  first  victim,  and  later  the 
people  rebelled  and  put  the  king  himself  into  it. 

chapeau  bras   ("arm  hat"),  a  plumed  and  pointed  naval  hat, 
made  to  be  folded  and  carried  under  the  arm. 
353 


354  GLOSSARY 

cloth  tree,  usually  the  paper  mulberry;  here  probably  the  bread 
fruit  tree,  from  which  tappa  was  made. 

ena,  here. 

Fabian  tactics,  Fabius  (died  about  203  B.C.)  was  a  Roman  general 
who  finally  defeated  the  Carthaginian  invader  Hannibal 
by  skirmishes  and  delays  and  avoidance  of  decisive  battles; 
he  was  called  "the  delayer." 

Fayaway,   the  daughter  of   Melville's  host,   Marheyo   (see  pp. 

113  ff.)- 

Franee,  Frenchmen. 

Gra-pes,  the  story  of  the  excellent  fruits  of  the  Land  of  Canaan 
and  of  the  courageous  report  which  two  spies  brought  back 
to  the  Hebrews,  in  contradiction  of  the  cowardly  advice  of 
the  other  ten,  is  told  in  the  Bible  (Numbers,  Chapter  XIII). 

hanna  pippee,  is  killing. 

Happar,  a  neighboring  tribe,  hostile  to  the  Typees  (pp.  26, 
135;  172  ff.  etc.);  usually  spelled  Hapaa  (cf.  amar,  above). 

hibiscus,  a  large  group  of  plants,  some  of  which  produce  a  strong 

fiber — the  Indian  hemp,  etc. 

Hippocrates,  a  famous  physician  who  lived  before  400  B.C.; 
among  writings  said  to  be  his  are  the  "Oath  of  Aesculapius" 
and  the  "Law  of  the  Guild"  of  physicians. 

hoolah  hoolah  (or  hula-hula),  a  feast  or  dance;  this  and  the 
pi-ula  dance  are  described  in  Charles  Warren  Stoddard's 
"South  Sea  Idylls"  (pp.  1245.,  1892  edition). 

hoolah -hoolah  ground,  a  pi-pi  containing  the  temples,  sacred 
to  religious  rites;  such  a  "high  place"  in  one  of  the  valleys 
is  described  by  Stevenson  in  "The  South  Seas,"  Chapter 
XII. 

Happy  Valley,  the  residence  of  the  Prince  of  Abyssinia  in  Dr. 
Johnson's  "Rasselas"  (1759). 

Jimmy,  a  tabooed  white  man  who  rescued  Toby  (see  pp.  338  ff.). 

kanaka,  a  man;  later,  following  the  European's  use  of  the  word, 
a  native.  Tabooed  kanaka,  "an  islander  whose  person  has 
been  made  to  a  certain  degree  sacred  by  the  operation  of 
a  singular  custom  hereafter  to  be  described"  [Melville's 
note];  cf.  references  under  taboo  (pp.  187  and  345). 

Karakoee,  a  tabooed  native  who  rescued  Melville  (see  pp.  328  ff.). 

Karky,  a  "tattoo  artist"  and  Tahuku,  expert  in  religious  crafts 
(pp.  286  ff.).;  a  similar  "priest,  wizard,  tattooer,  practicer 
of  any  art"  appears  in  Chapter  XIV  of  ''The  South  Seas" 

kekeeno,  bad,  evil. 


GLOSSARY  355 

ki-ki,  eat;   food. 

koar  (or  koa)  wood,  a  kind  of  acacia  which  takes  a  high  polish. 

kokoo,   a   preparation  of  cooked  and   pounded   breadfruit  and 

grated  cocoanut  (called  koehi  by  Church)  (see  pp.  156  ff.). 
Kolory,   the  chief  priest  of  the  island,   especially  attached  to 

Moa  Atua  (see  pp.  235  ff.). 
Kory-Kory,    son    of    Marheyo,    Melville's    chief    attendant    by 

order  of  King  Mehevi  (see  pp.  109,  etc.). 
La  Madalena,  a  small  island  near  Nukuheva. 
lumee  lumee,  called  lomi-Lomi  by  Stoddard,  and  described  with 

its  invigorating  after-effects  in  "South  Sea  Idylls,"  pp.  119- 

20;    a  violent  sort  of  massage  in  which  the    Marquesans 

were  adept  (see  pp.  104  fL). 

mammee-apples,  luscious  tropical  apricots  as  large  as  pineapples. 
Marheyo,  the  old  native  at  whose  house  Melville  and  Toby 

lodged  (see  pp.  uo-n;    327  ff.) 
Marnoo,  a  tabooed  native  who  visits  the  Typee  valley  (see  pp. 

181  and   316  ff.). 
maro,  a  girdle  of  tappa. 
Massachusetts  Bay,  the  name  given  by  Admiral  Porter,  in  1813, 

to  the    bay   here   called   Nukuheva    and    by    the    French 

Tai-o-hae. 
Mehevi,  King  of  the  Typee  Valley  (see  pp.  92-3,  101  ff.,  243  ff.). 

Stevenson   describes   another  kingly,  house  of  Nukuheva  in 

Chapter  IX  of  The  South  Seas. 
mioree,  breadfruit  (see  pp.  94  ff.  153  ff-)« 
Moa  Atua,  the  principal  god  of  the  Typees  (see  pp.  236  ff.).     This 

scene  and   Kory-Kory's   treatment    of    the    weak-kneed    idol 

(pp.    241   ff.)   suggest   Kanana's   worship    of    the    cigar-store 

Indian  in  San  Francisco,  in  "South  Sea  Idylls"  (p.  41). 
moee,  sit  down,  sleep  (cf.  mukee  moee,  dead). 
morai,  burial  ground. 

motarkee,  good  (cf.  owle  motarkee,  shocking  bad). 
Mowanna,  king  of  Nukuheva  Bay  (see  p.  339). 
Mow-Mow,  a  one-eyed  chief  of  truculent  temper  (see  pp.  326 

and  336  ff.). 
mukee  moee,  dead. 

Narmonee,  a  courageous  chief  of  the  Typees  (undergoing  tor 
ture,  p.  164;  after  battle,  p.  310). 
Narnee,  a  young  chief  (see  pp.  282  ff.). 
nuee,  big,  much,  many,  heaps;  nuee  puarkee  ("big  hog")>  the 

natives'  name  for  the  first  horse  they  saw. 


356  GLOSSARY 

Nukuheva  Island,  the  largest  of  the  Marquesas;  Stoddard 
merely  describes  it  in  passing  by  ("South  Sea  Idylls,"  pp. 
300  ff.);  Stevenson  tells  much  of  interest  about  it. 

Nukuheva,  the  chief  harbor  on  the  same  island,  and  its  inhabi 
tants. 

otium  cum  dignitate,  ease  with  dignity. 

owle,  not  (See  owle  motarkee). 

papa,  a  root  from  which  a  greenish  cosmetic  is  made  by  the 
Marquesan  women  (pp.  245-6). 

pence,  fish  (p.  275);  a  similar  scene  is  cleverly  described  in 
"South  Sea  Idylls,"  pp.  241-2. 

pemi,  come. 

pigtail,  sailor's  tobacco  twisted  into  a  rope  or  cord. 

pi -pi  (usually  spelled  pae-pae,  and  so  pronounced),  the  stone 
platform  on  which  Marquesan  houses  are  built;  this  ledge 
of  black  volcanic  rock  and  the  house  are  also  well  described 
by  Stevenson  in  "The  South  Seas,"  Chapter  I  and  (Davos 
edition)  p.  in. 

poee-poee  (or  poi-poi),  a  pudding  made  of  breadfruit  (see  p.  94; 
and  for  its  manufacture,  1581!.). 

poo  awa,  run  away;   go. 

puarkee,  pig  (see  p.  223);  further  interesting  details  of  the 
Nukuheva  pigs  are  given  in  "The  South  Seas,"  Chapter 
XI.  "Long  Pig"  appears  to  have  been  the  native  name 
for  enemies  eaten  after  battle  (p.  314).  See  also  nuee 
puarkee. 

Puerka  or  Pueearka,  another  valley  on  Nukuheva  Island,  the 
home  of  Marnoo. 

roo-ne,  prevent,  stop. 

Ropo,  a  neighboring  Marquesan  island. 

Selkirk,  a  sailor  who  lived  alone  on  Juan  Fernandez  Island,  off 
the  coast  of  Chili,  from  1704  to  1709;  his  account  of  his 
experience  probably  suggested  to  Defoe  the  story  "Robin 
son  Crusoe." 

Sinbad:  the  story  of  Sinbad's  contest  with  the  Old  Man  of  the 
Sea  is  told  in  the  "Arabian  Nights,"  the  Fifth  Voyage  of 
Sinbad. 

sinnate,  a  cord  of  braided  grass  or  fiber. 

Solyman,  a  famous  conqueror  who  lived  at  Constantinople  nearly 
a  century  after  its  capture  and  almost  took  Vienna;  Byzan 
tium,  which  Mohammed  III  captured  in  1453,  had  been 
called  Constantinople  since  330  A.D. 


GLOSSARY  357 

taboo  or  tapu,  forbidden;  the  practice  of  taboo  by  the  last  of 
the  man-eating  chiefs  of  Nukuheva  is  described  by  Steven 
son  in  "The  South  Seas,"  Chapter  VI.  (See  "Typee," 
pp.  17,  177  ff.,  and  191  ff.). 

tabooed  kanaka,  see  kanaka.  Taboo  Groves,  the  sacred  groves 
about  the  Ti  and  temples  (see  Chapter  XII,  pp.  121  ff.). 

Tai-o-hae,  the  French  name  for  Nukuheva  Bay. 

tamaree,  boy. 

tappa  or  tapa,  a  native  cloth  made  from  the  bark  of  the  bread 
fruit  tree  (see  pp.  198  and  293  ff.). 

tattoo,  markings  made  by  pricking  the  skin  with  a  sharp  bone 
point  dipped  in  pigment  (see  p.  286  ff.  and  note  on  Karky, 
above).  "Beating  the  tattoo  upon  the  tympanum"  (p. 
287)  is  of  course  a  play  on  another  word  (from  "  tap-to,"  a 
drum  signal  for  closing  public-houses),  the  drum  beat  or 
bugle  call  ordering  soldiers  to  their  quarters. 

Ti,  a  sort  of  combination  royal  palace,  bachelors'  hall,  and  old 
men's  home,  in  which  several  scenes  of  this  story  take  place. 

Tinor,  wife  of  Marheyo,  a  notable  housewife  (see  pp.   in  ff.). 

Tior,  one  of  the  bays  and  valleys  on  Nukuheva  Island. 

Tommo,  Melville's  name  among  the  Typees  (see  p.  93). 

tutao,  breadfruit  pounded  with  a  pestle  and  ready  to  be  preserved 
or  cooked  for  food  (see  p.  157). 

Typee,  a  bay  and  valley  to  the  east  of  Nukuheva  Bay,  and  its 
inhabitants. 

vestals,  the  six  priestesses  of  the  Roman  goddess  of  the  hearth 
who,  on  pain  of  death,  kept  the  sacred  fire  burning  on  the 
temple  altars.  Church  mentions  fire  kept  alight  in  a  tree 
trunk  on  these  islands,  apparently  an  improvement  over 
the  method  seen  by  Melville. 

wai,  water. 

Wee  Wees,  a  Nukuheva  name  for  the  French;  see  France. 

whinhenies,  young  girls. 

Jezebel,  a  Phoenician  princess,  wife  of  King  Ahab  of  Israel,  who 
tried  to  introduce  her  native  gods  into  the  kingdom;  the 
dramatic  story  of  her  contest  with  the  prophet  Elijah  and 
of  her  death  is  told  in  the  Bible,  I  Kings  Chapters  19  and 
21,  II  Kings  Chapter  9. 


REFERENCES 

John  W.  Church:  "A  Vanishing  People  of  the  South  Seas." 
"National  Geographic  Magazine,"  October,  1919. 

Frederick  O'Brien:  "White  Shadows  in  the  South  Seas,"  Cen 
tury,  1919;  illustrated  from  photographs. 

Paul  Gaguin:  "Noa  Noa"  (tr.  by  O.  F.  Theis;  Nicolas  L.  Brown, 
publisher),  a  narrative  of  two  years  in  Tahiti  by  a  French  painter 
who  afterward  lived  and  died  on  Nukuheva. 

Somerset  Maugham:  The  Moon  and  Sixpence,  a  story  of  Gaguin 
in  the  South  Seas. 

Robert  Louis  Stevenson:  "The  South  Seas"  (1900). 

Charles  Warren  Stoddard:    "South  Sea  Idylls"   (1893). 

C.  A.  Vincendon-Dumoulin  and  C.  Desgraz:  "lies  Marquises  ou 
Nouka-Niva;  histoire,  geographic,  moeurs,"  Paris,  1843.  An 
account  and  justification  of  the  French  occupation  which 
occurred  while  Melville  was  upon  the  island;  it  contains  a 
map  and  a  translation  of  Admiral  Porter's  "emphatic  and 
pompous"  proclamation  taking  possession  of  these  islands  in 
1812. 

Le  P.  Mathias  G(racia):  "Lettres  sur  les  lies  Marquises,  ou 
Memoires  pour  servir  a  1'etude  religieuse,  morale,  politique 
et  statistique  des  lies  Marquises  et  de  1'Oceanie  orientale, 
avec  une  carte  geographique  des  lies  et  un  dessin  de  1'arbre 
a  pain,"  Paris,  1843.  Written  by  a  French  Catholic  mis 
sionary  in  Oceania. 

Articles  concerning  Herman  Melville 

F.  J.  Mather,  Jr.:  An  Appreciation,  Review,  i,  276  and  298. 

R.  M.  Weaver:  The  Centennial  of  Herman  Melville,  Nation,  109, 

145-6. 
Arthur  Johnson:  A  Comparison  of  Manners,   New  Republic,    20, 

113-15- 

Arthur  Stedman:  Melville  of  Marquesas,  Review  of  Reviews,  4, 
428. 

358 


REFERENCES  359 

M.  Philarete  Chasles:  "  Voyages  Reels  et  Fantastiques  d'Her- 
man(n)  Melville "  in  Etudes  sur  la  Litterature  et  les  Moeurs 
des  Anglo-Americains  au  XIX£  Siecle,  Paris,  1850. 

E.  E.  Slosson:  "A  Number  of  Things,"  Independent,  91  :  79  and 
89  :  84.  Notes  on  Moby  Dick  and  other  Melville  stories. 

E.  M.  Bacon:  "Among  the  Berkshire  Hills,"  in  Literary  Pilgrimages, 
pp.  451-6  (Portrait). 

Another  Significant  American  Centenary,  Current  Opinion,  67:184. 

-. Herman  Melville,  Spectator  70,  859. 


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